• by Sarah Mahoney , October 16, 2025

While most brands wait for the Halloween sugar crash to fade, a few are jumping ahead to Thanksgiving. Knorr is back celebrating Friendsgiving fails. Cup Noodles is daring to make “moist” cool again. And Aldi is leading on price with a $40 meal that feeds 10 — just $4 a person.

Knorr, the Unilever-owned soups and sauces brand, leans on research showing that for 40% of zillennials, friends are the only audience worth cooking for. The new “Friendsgiving Dinner Do-Over” campaign builds on last year’s effort, positioning itself as a sous chef for social anxiety. It highlights that 73% of zillennials say they feel better seeing other people’s cooking blunders, and 86% think the effort matters as much as the outcome. Videos with YouTuber Chloe Shih show off some spectacular fails, along with plenty of recipes and a limited-edition “Dinner Do-Over Kit” giveaway to rescue kitchen catastrophes.

If Knorr is leaning into the stress of cooking for friends, Cup Noodles is confronting another Thanksgiving fear: dryness. Owned by Japan’s Nissin Foods, the brand is launching two new flavors — Turkey Dinner and Pumpkin Pie Cup Noodles — available only at Walmart for $1.18 each. The rollout comes with a campaign built around ending dryness in every form: overcooked turkey, parched pie crusts, and dry family conversation.

“We all know nothing can dampen the holiday spirit quicker than a dry Thanksgiving meal — whether it's the food or boring dinner table conversation,” said Priscila Stanton, senior vice president of marketing, Nissin Foods USA, in the announcement. “With Cup Noodles Turkey Dinner and Pumpkin Pie, we're delivering the full Thanksgiving experience — from main course to dessert — in minutes with the moist, slurpable goodness our fans crave.”

And while cost-per-serving bragging rights are a supermarket staple, they mean more this year as shoppers keep finding creative ways to manage grocery costs. Aldi is first out of the gate with a full Thanksgiving lineup for $40 — including 21 ingredients like a 14-pound turkey, rolls, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie.

“Thanksgiving is the biggest food holiday of the year, and Aldi is proud to lead the industry once again on price,” said Scott Patton, chief commercial officer, in the announcement. “Price leadership is part of our DNA, and the holidays are when our commitment to value really shines. We believe families shouldn’t have to make trade-offs to feed everyone, especially at Thanksgiving.”