Maxwell House Brews Multi-Million Dollar Sampling Campaign
Kraft Foods’ Maxwell House is promoting its coffee with a major sampling effort targeting malls, retail outlets and even tollbooths.
On Nov. 21, the day before Thanksgiving and one of the busiest travel days, the coffee brand will take over tollbooths nationwide from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and pick up the tab for motorists. Drivers will also receive a free sample of Maxwell House coffee, enough to make one pot. And each time Maxwell House pays for a toll, it will set aside a donation (up to $100,000) for America’s Second Harvest, a national food bank system.
The push is part of Maxwell House’s new campaign, “It’s a Good Morning. Brew Some Good,” which promotes the brand’s reformulated coffee made with 100% Arabica beans and new packaging, which sheds the traditional steel can in favor of a square-shape plastic container for easier storage.
Then on Black Friday, more than 1 million cups of free hot coffee will be handed out from kiosks in 15 shopping centers in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, Denver and St. Louis, MO, among other spots. The sampling will run through the holiday weekend.
“It’s another way we are getting the message out for people to try Maxwell House,” Jerry Densk, Kraft’s director of marketing, mainstream coffee, said.
The tastings, in part, are to meant to show people that Maxwell House coffee is full of flavor and isn’t bitter. Another goal is to convert drinkers of competitive coffee into Maxwell House buyers.
The effort marks Maxwell House’s biggest marketing campaign in more than 10 years, Densk said. Densk declined comment on the campaign’s budget, but said the brand doubled its marketing spending for the fourth quarter versus one year ago.
At retail, Maxwell House is sampling in more than 100 supermarket chains nationwide, including Krogers, Publix and Winn Dixie. In all, more than 2 million cups of coffee will be distributed.
“Trial and sampling is critical to providing consumers with that taste difference,” Densk said.
Maxwell House launched its new newly reformulated coffee in July.
New content to support the campaign debuts on Nov. 30, at http://www.BrewSomeGood.com.
Trial coupons, games and information about Arabica coffee beans and the brand’s history will be offered. And soon, visitors will be able to post stories and content on the site, Densk said.
TV spots and radio spots and print ads support the campaign. Ogilvy & Mather and OgilvyAction worked together to execute the campaign.
