Two old-school pork brands are skipping the traditional TV-first
plan, showing just how much influencers and retail media are rewiring America’s dinner landscapes.
The HoneyBaked Ham Co., best known for the holiday roasts sold at its 400 stores, is
rolling out a holiday campaign fronted by “Not Gonna Lie” podcaster Kylie Kelce. But the media schedule shows just how much influencer marketing has shaken up traditional playbooks as they
woo new audiences: “Traditions That Bring Us Home” is breaking first on Kelce’s social channels, and a spokesperson confirms the brand will get a mention on her popular “Not
Gonna Lie” podcast. From there, it scales to CTV and linear TV with 30 and 60-second videos,
and radio.
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Those ads also feature the other Kelce: husband Jason, a retired NFL great and himself a popular podcast host. Created in-house, the ads show the couple settling down to a holiday
meal with a big family, as Kylie extols her fond memories of HoneyBaked hams.
For Kelce, that idea is personal. HoneyBaked has been on her family’s holiday table for years. “The
Bone-in Ham is always a centerpiece at our house, and there are certain things you have to have around it: the Double Cheddar Mac & Cheese, the Maple Sweet Potato Souffle, the Rolls, and, of
course, the Cinnamon Apples,” she said in the company’s announcement.
The company says it chose Kelce as brand ambassador for precisely that reason, looking to show a new
generation how to hold onto family traditions while creating new ones of their own.
“She brings a fresh, relatable perspective on how families host and gather today,” said Maegan
Markee, chief commercial officer, in the announcement. “She represents a generation that’s taking the traditions they grew up with and making them their own, which is exactly the spirit of
‘Traditions That Bring Us Home.’ “
Markee adds that the campaign is also a jumping-off point for “a marketing transformation,” as it looks to both celebrate brand
loyalists and recruit the next generation.
If HoneyBaked is selling tradition, Johnsonville is peddling escape. In the latest of its ongoing election-season parody campaigns, the company has
put Amazon Ads on the ticket, turning Sausage for Dinner 2026 into an interactive experience.
The collaboration includes shoppable recipes, a philanthropic Fire TV streaming experience and a free dinner giveaway timed to the eve of Election Day. With a $20 Amazon Grocery promotion, it will
deliver dinner to 1,000 families' doorsteps, favoring cities that have endured the most relentless political advertising.
The offer also includes a curated collection of feel-good comedies on
Fire TV, encouraging viewers to Stream it Forward, with Amazon donating $1 to Hunger Free America for every hour of eligible content watched, up to $50,000.
The effort builds on the
company’s previous campaigns, targeting exhausted swing-state citizens who’d like a break from the onslaught. Research with Harris Polls has previously found that two out of three adults
expect the midterms to make politics and news more overwhelming.