Cheez-Hit_ Cheez-It _ Couple 0-9 screenshot

US cheese brand Cheez-It launches in UK & Ireland

The campaign from Leo Burnett is shaking up the British snack scene, spotlighting the power of 100 per cent real cheese with a creative twist

By Creative Salon

13 September 2024

Cheez-It, the iconic US snack brand, has made it across the pond and is focusing on its proposition of using 100 per cent real cheese to deliver an intense taste experience with its £18 million marketing campaign across the UK and Ireland.

The integrated campaign from Leo Burnett spans TV, Social, Radio and OOH, with ads running until December 2025, with media buying from Carat.

Talking about the creative, Shauna Lenagh, senior spokesperson at Cheez-It, said: “Cheez-It has over a century of expertise in making cheesy baked snacks in America, and is now making its long-awaited debut in the UK&I. Our “Cheez-Hit? Cheez-It” campaign embodies the cheesy flavour experience from the very first bite in a way that’s not just memorable, but also hilariously relatable, striking a chord with snack lovers everywhere.”

Directed by creative duo WATTs, each film showcases individuals enjoying the product in various scenarios. After the first ‘crunch’, a high-tempo EDM soundtrack begins, symbolising the taste sensation. As the cheesy taste experience builds, the individual’s eyes flash with red and yellow spirals and a swirling appears in their pupils, which are both shaped like the snack. The camera pans in on the individual's expression in slow motion, before rapidly spiralling outwards to the surroundings to portray the heightened taste experience a ‘Cheez-Hit’ creates.

Across radio, audio spots will feature the catchy EDM track alongside the slogan “Crunch it. Taste it. Feel it. Cheez-It”, designed to create brand intrigue and engagement. Large-scale OOH placements featuring the distinctive device of swirling red-and-yellow eyes with snack-shaped pupils, will further amplify the ‘Cheez-Hit’ taste experience within key cities, including London, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dublin.

Mark Elwood, CCO, Leo Burnett UK, also comments: “Cheez-It is finally coming to Europe - the USA’s favourite is now available over here. There’s nothing quite as bold as the taste and feeling of the Cheezy-Hit you get from a Cheez-It. That moment of the big Cheez-Hit is the idea behind this launch campaign. Brought to life in a playful way throughout the AV/Social with our spiralling eyes signalling the tasty hit. All accompanied by a bespoke banging EDM track too.”

The above-the-line activity will be supported by a robust media relations and experiential PR campaign from Tin Man Communications. Capitalising on the cheese fandom in the UK, the PR campaign will see the launch of a secret, cheese-lovers society, The Cheez-Masons, to build interest and drive conversation online and in the media. Consumers will be invited to attend the ‘initiation ceremony’ in London this September to get a tasty Cheez-Hit of their own.

Trade engagement, handled by comms agency Mercieca, will include a media launch event, PR and retailer influencer store trials, print and digital advertising, wholesale point-of-sale, nationwide wholesale sampling and the creation of a trade-facing website stockitcheezit.com. Kellanova is also supporting retailers with dedicated POS, including freestanding display units, to help create theatre in-store and engage shoppers.

Capitalising on the growing UKI snack market, Cheez-It Snap’d will be available in the UK and Ireland in three flavours: Double Cheese, Cheese & Chilli and Cheese, Sour Cream & Onion.