Velveeta's Marketing Stunt

On today’s Bullseye, the 100 year old Velveeta brand’s marketing team wants to shake things up a bit and create buzz and relationship with younger generations. How? Well, last year they launched a Velveeta scented nail polish and with BLT restaurants launched this summer a Velveeta infused martini aptly named the Veltini. The Kraft-Heinz marketers are trying to make Velveeta an aspirational lifestyle brand. I accept Velveeta for what it is – a pasteurized prepared cheese product. It can’t even be labeled cheese food. I grew up with my dad being in the cheese business and my father wouldn’t allow it in our house.  Even though my mom liked the way it melted on macaroni.

The truth is the original recipe was made from Swiss cheese and whey – yes, real cheese.  It was created in the early 1900's and Kraft bought it in 1927. From then on the recipe evolved into what it is today – milk, whey, whey protein concentrate, milkfat, sodium phosphate, milk protein concentrate and contains less than 2% of various preservatives and coloring. The brilliant marketers at Kraft were able to buy the American Medical Association’s endorsement in 1931 – they said that Velveeta’s nutritional value builds “firm flesh” – what does that mean? Fat? And no, Velveeta does not require refrigeration and according to the company has a shelf life of 210 days. Maybe nail polish isn’t such a bad idea after all.