• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

McCormick is re-seasoning its marketing, launching a new masterbrand campaign themed “Everyday.” TV and social media spots whip up a sampling of familiar cultural references, from “The Muppets”* and “Lady and the Tramp” to “Harry Potter,” plus mainstream influencers including Martha Stewart and Paris Hilton, celebrating food memories that hopscotch across generations.

Media buys, however, are more age-focused, zeroing in on the changing cooking habits of millennials and Gen Z, many of whom are cutting back on restaurant splurges and looking for more flavor at home. The campaign uses the tagline “Make Your Best.”

The goal is to shift the brand from pantry staple to daily spark. “For more than 136 years, McCormick has been an iconic brand helping people create the best flavors in their kitchens through our spices,” said Tabata Gomez, the company’s CMO, in the announcement. “Every day is our opportunity to remind consumers of that role while inspiring the next generation of cooks who see food as a powerful form of self-expression.”

Colle McVoy is the agency. Ads are running on TV, streaming, digital and social, including Meta, TikTok and Pinterest. A spokesperson tells Marketing Daily the buys include “high-impact streaming placements like Netflix, Roku and Max coming soon in late January and beyond.” Influencer partnerships will roll out on an ongoing basis.

McCormick’s previous masterbrand platform was “It’s Gonna Be Great.” The new work comes as the company flexes into new marketing arenas. Earlier this week, it announced a two-year partnership with Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media, and Hilton appears in the campaign spot. Last year, McCormick teamed up with the New York Times’ Cookie Week, becoming the first-ever product placement collaborator.

The refreshed push lands as the company’s outlook improves. “McCormick has a strong leadership position in the food flavoring space, which should benefit from more at-home cooking,” writes Steve Powers, an analyst who follows the company for Deutsche Bank, which recently named McCormick in its “Fresh Money” recommendations. Powers adds that as economic conditions remain volatile and consumers’ health and wellness concerns rise, McCormick should continue to ride the crest of the home cooking wave.

 *A previous edition misidentified the Swedish Chef. He appears in "The Muppets," not "Sesame Street."