Kraft Heinz is giving away customized cast iron pans, hoping to help families create new mealtime rituals and reintroduce its dormant Kraft Singles brand to Canadian households.

Kraft Singles Canada is launching new limited-edition cast iron pans, personalized with designs that will grill into whatever they cook – namely, the bread in a grilled cheese sandwich. The design options include Canadiana like hockey sticks and maple leaves, as well as occasions where grilled cheese is especially popular, like camping trips.

Since Aug. 12, Canadians have been asked to post comments about how they are already personalizing their grilled cheese on social media channels, with the brand giving away pans to 50 of the commenters.

Heena Verma, senior marketing manager for brand build and innovation at Kraft Heinz Canada, says Kraft Singles has been largely dormant in terms of brand marketing in Canada since 2016. This contest – and the owned social channels it created ahead of its launch – is “a natural first step in reintroducing the brand and regaining relevance with Canadian families active on these platforms,” she says, adding that a fun and easy-to-enter social contest is the best way to create engagement and ensures Kraft Singles stay top-of-mind as consumers head into the back-to-school season.

According to Verma, in recent years, Kraft Singles has focused on in-store in the summer, but during the pandemic, families are spending more time in the kitchen and searching for quick, trusted favourites. This has lead to a spike in demand for Singles in the last three months, which it is using as an opportunity to build an emotional connection with family mealtimes.

“We’re looking to reach younger families who are just starting create their own rituals with their own families,” Verma says. The cast iron pans play into that, as they are a piece of cookware that is reused and passed down through generations. “They cook meals together regularly as a way to connect and spend time with each other – it’s a source of pride and a way to unwind.”

In Kraft Heinz’s Q2 earnings call US zone president Carlos Abrams-Rivera says its Kraft Singles business stateside saw a slight market share loss stateside despite elevated consumption thanks to supply chain constraints. In Canada, Kraft Heinz reported double digit growth overall. But on a global scale, the pandemic has not changed plans for the CPG to shift its marketing investment towards building and supporting its “iconic” and well-known brands, like Singles.

Kraft Singles has strong brand equity – Verma says it is the top sliced cheese brand in Canada and can be found in half of households across the country.

The social campaign was developed by Salt, Starcom handled the media and The Colony Project handled the PR and influencers.