• Ad Age, Tuesday, February 9, 2010 10:36 AM

Kraft may have written the book on "old school" values like integrity and family, as one observer tells Emily Bryson York, but North America's largest food company is becoming decidedly more contemporary in the look and tone of its advertising and packaging. "All the way from [CEO] Irene [Rosenfeld], the marketing is important," says Dana Anderson, senior vp-marketing, who adds that the bar for creative is higher than in the past.

Consider the defiant message of a new campaign that, former agency executives say, would once have been rejected as "too edgy": "We are Miracle Whip and we will not tone it down." And the home of Velveeta has repackaged its Kraft Natural Cheese with increased visibility of the word "natural" in response to consumers' desire for less-processed foods that are still convenient, Bryson York reports.

Among Kraft's marketing innovations are its lauded iFood Assistant app for the iPhone, a revamped consumer Web site and its revised Food & Family magazine, which stays fresh with consumers with emailed newsletters. It reportedly is relying less on research, is more willing to take risks, and is executing at a much faster clip.

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