Playin' it cool

Can mayonnaise be cool? Miracle Whip, the mayo substitute, is sure trying.

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Before on left, new label on right

Gone are the swirly-twirlies, the sunbursts and loopty-doo's. Instead, Kraft has reverted to a largely white label and simpler look. The brand colors are the same, but the balance has shifted from spritely blues to sterile white. To me, this feels distinctly "generic", but maybe that's because I've grown up associating white or plain labels with discount brands. Does anyone feel the same? I imagine European brands must have a different look and feel to them.

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With this brand new look, and a slick ad campaign, Kraft is courting youngsters in the 18-35 year old age group, relying on this sparse, retro feeling label and 'in your face' tag line, "We will not tone it down". But come on folks, it's still just mayonnaise! I never really pictured mayonnaise substitute as a rebellious, live-out-loud type of condiment.

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Added to that, they have placed videos on YouTube, and even have a Facebook page and free application called Zingr. I understand their demographic has gone digital, but this seems to be a bit of a stretch. Of course, they've got me writing and linking to it, so maybe it does work.

"If we can get 'zing' adopted as part of the digital vernacular, it will be tied into everything else we're doing," says a company spokesperson. (source)

Personally, I can't see getting that excited over mayonnaise. Any takers?