Knorr is looking to drive home the Canadian launch of its “Taste Combos” with a new Toronto pop-up, part of a broader marketing push during a “year of transformation” for the brand, according to Shagufta Hooda, its Canadian marketing lead.

The pop-up, called “Yummy K’s” and taking the form of a takeout restaurant, will run out of the house at 179 Crawford St. in the city’s Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood from Aug. 10 to 13. The point of the concept is to demonstrate that the “Taste Combos” meals can rival traditional takeout food – and has enlisted restaurateur and celebrity chef Matty Matheson to deliver on the premise by devising several of its creations. It’s the next step in a strategy “to get Knorr out of the cupboard,” says Hooda, “and have Canadians experience it in a new, bold and delicious way.”

“When Canadians are looking for taste and convenience, they often turn to takeout,” she adds. “But when you have a flavour powerhouse like Knorr, you can make tasty, affordable and quick meals from the comfort of your own kitchen. By transforming a house in downtown Toronto, right beside a popular summer hangout like Trinity Bellwoods Park, we’re encouraging people to make the discovery with their tastebuds and try it for themselves.”

All of the items on the “Yummy K’s” menu are available as recipes in Knorr’s “Taste Combos” menu, and everything is available for $5, with proceeds being donated to the company’s longtime non-profit partner Le Tablée des Chefs, which runs food recovery initiatives and aims to develop food autonomy among young people who are striking out on their own. Torontonians can order one of the dishes through the Ritual app, or order in person at the pop-up.

The pop-up is the latest part of a broader campaign that launched earlier in the summer and features musician and noted home cook Cardi B. The campaign includes the Unilever brand’s first investment in TV in several years, as it sought to land the new masterbrand refresh on a broader basis and “tap into the wide appeal of Knorr with a variety of audiences,” says Hooda.

The decision to return to TV is “very intentional,” both because “it allows us to combine sight and sound to maximize the craveability of our delicious recipes,” and it enables the brand to maximize its reach and tell the story of the brand’s transformation across the country, she adds – particularly when paired with digital and social, over which the campaign is also running. The TV buy will continue into the fall and winter, Hooda says.

The effort also includes a hefty OOH buy in a bid to “paint the town green,” according to Hooda. That buy included a TTC domination at Bloor-Yonge Station in Toronto and wild postings throughout the city’s downtown core.

Edelman worked with Knorr on both the pop-up and broader campaign.