• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 14, 2009

Sure, you may find Gen Y gourmets whipping up their own aioli, or spreading some organic mayo on their whole-wheat sandwiches. But Kraft Foods is betting they'll go for good old Miracle Whip -- the downscale sandwich spread they grew up with -- and has launched a new campaign to win them over.

Themed "We are Miracle Whip. And we will not tone it down," TV ads are set to a jangly soundtrack from rock band The Datsuns, featuring people who "proudly embrace the flavor of Miracle Whip without apology," says a Kraft spokesperson. "We will not be quiet," the voiceover says. "We will not blend in. And when we are in a salad or a sandwich or a panini or crostini, you'll know it. We are Miracle Whip."

"Many people enjoyed Miracle Whip in the past, but with so many flavor options today, many of them -- especially younger consumers -- have lost sight of this tangy original dressing," the spokesperson says. "We have reinvented Miracle Whip, and we want to bring its one-of-a-kind flavor back in front of younger consumers who might not be thinking about it."

The company hopes the new effort, from mcgarrybowen, "will reintroduce the brand to younger households, particularly those who grew up eating it but might not be using it today. We have an opportunity to contemporize the brand for today's younger consumers."

TV ads broke this week and will run through November on prime-time women's cable, men's cable and adult cable, says a Kraft spokesperson. "There will also be a strong regional TV spot overlay, especially in the Midwest (early morning, primetime and fringe)," she says.

Because the ads target younger consumers -- especially those who may have grown up with the product -- the campaign is running in multiple media, including out-of-home executions in several cities (with one near Chicago's Wrigley Field), print, a Facebook page and Twitter profile, other social media, FSIs, consumer relationship marketing tactics, sampling, in-store support, and truck fleet billboards.

It's also using ZINGR, "a new downloadable plug-in that enables users to add their own comments on websites with friends," which consumers can download at MiracleWhip.com. Kraft "wants to be where consumers are," she says. "Social networks are a part of life, and we want Miracle Whip to be a part of the conversation. ZINGR is just the innovative tool to do that." The plug-in was created by AKQA.