Will the Second Time be the Charm for Ritz Crackerfuls?

What to do with a product that failed the first time out of the gate? Kraft's Ritz brand managers are revisiting a 2009 product launch that crumbled with a relaunch focused around a Facebook game in a bid to target a younger demo of snackers. Ritz Crackerfuls is back with six flavors; classic cheddar, vegetable, garlic & herb, four cheese, sharp cheddar, cheese & bacon, all sandwiched between whole grain or multigrain crackers.

The relaunch campaign makes a direct outreach to younger consumers via Facebook. The product never clicked with the original target market of women 35 to 54, but with the subsequent popularity of social games and Facebook, the marketing mix has been fine tuned to skew a bit younger to reach those “who are looking for snacks to tide them over between meals,” said Katrina Cohen, Ritz Crackerfuls brand manager, to the New York Times.

While previously positioned as a snack “that’s perfect in between meals” and “the great pick-me-up,” the new campaign is proactive, proffering Ritz Crackerfuls as the perfect snack antidote: “Get hunger before it gets you.”

Satisfying hunger has been leveraged in candy campaigns, but “was an unmet need in the cracker category,” added Cohen to the Times. Enter Facebook, as the hub of the new campaign, with a game called "What’s Your Hunger 'Tude" offering various adventure choices in about 90 seconds.

The video clips are produced by Funny or Die's brand partnership unit, using humor (see "The Legend of Rick Hunger" below) to illustrate “how hunger, especially between meals, can affect your day, affect your behavior,” Lee Garfinkel, chief creative officer for global brands at Euro RSCG told the Times. “We thought it was a different way to talk about a cracker, in a way that’s relevant and entertaining.”

Euro RSCG Worldwide in New York and media agency MediaVest are creating the campaign which includes television and banner ads.