Why Knorr’s ‘Yummy K’s’ popped up & sold out – the recipe of a viral success

With a steep decline in brand health scores for “meets needs” (-16pts) and a drop in sales performance (-3.4% YTD), Knorr needed a bold approach to re-engage Gen Z and Millennials. The goal was to position Knorr as a go-to home cooking ingredient that could satisfy their desire for affordable, uncomplicated and delicious meals.

Strategy

While 88% of Canadians believe home-cooked meals are more satisfying, many younger consumers have moved away from cooking at home, opting for fast food due to time, budget constraints and lack of cooking confidence. Fast food advertising, powered by $500 million in media spend by QSR brands, dominated the digital space where Gen Z and Millennials sought food inspiration—primarily on TikTok, where trends like #CookTok had amassed over 2.9 billion views by mid-2023.

The opportunity was clear: Knorr needed to tap into TikTok’s #FoodTok community to show that home-cooked meals could be just as simple and crave-worthy as fast food.

Approach & execution

Knorr launched Yummy K’s, a pop-up takeout joint and digital delivery service that ran for an extended weekend in Toronto to reclaim relevance. The campaign, led by Edelman Canada, aimed to bring Knorr into the food conversations already happening online and in real life. The star of the show? Celebrity chef Matty Matheson, known for his role in The Bear and with over 715.3k TikTok followers, brought cultural cachet to the campaign.

Matty Matheson’s involvement lent credibility and excitement to Yummy K’s. Inspired by the fast-food world, the campaign featured crave-worthy food photos, bold colors and a “click-to-order” digital experience. The pop-up was housed in a transformed home near Trinity Bellwoods Park, with a drive-thru-style pick-up window and Happy Meal-inspired packaging. Matty also created the Yummy K’s menu, which included dishes inspired by trending TikTok recipes, such as Chilled Chili Soba and BBQ Chopped Chicken Sandwiches.

Knorr amplified the campaign with mid-tier food influencers like Hash, Lyss and Bridgette Vong, who shared engaging TikTok content inviting followers to the pop-up. Targeted ads were also placed to compete directly with fast food ads, ensuring the campaign reached its audience effectively. The content featured platform-specific graphics and editing to blend seamlessly into TikTok feeds. Offline tactics included wild postings and dominating high-traffic subway stations around Toronto.

In addition to the pop-up, Knorr utilized TikTok’s video reply feature, having Canadian influencers respond to a recent US Knorr campaign featuring Cardi B. This interaction added a layer of relatability and fun, showcasing the ease and tastiness of Knorr-based recipes.

Results

Yummy K’s was an overwhelming success:

The pop-up sold out thrice, with 1,000+ meals sold within three days—2.5 times the expected sales and surpassing those of Matty Matheson’s burger joint, Matty’s Patties.

Matty’s TikTok video featuring the BBQ Chopped Chicken Sandwich trended at #2 and #3 in Canada for five days, amassing over 5 million views.

The campaign achieved 88 million total impressions.

Influencer partner content received over 11 million views and 70,000 engagements.

Knorr-owned content saw 2 million views and over 35,000 click-through rates, doubling the average time spent on Knorr.ca.

The campaign boasted a 67% open rate on 15,000+ emails sent via Ritual.

Long-term impact

The campaign didn’t just meet its immediate goals; it exceeded them. Knorr saw growth of +4.4% in L4 and an impressive +16% one week post-campaign. Brand health scores also rebounded, with the “meets needs” score increasing by +12 points while competitors faced declines. First-party research confirmed that Knorr regained its position as a trusted brand known for its delicious taste and versatility.

This case study highlights how Knorr’s Yummy K’s campaign successfully reconnected with younger Canadian consumers by blending celebrity appeal, viral social media content and a strategic on-the-ground experience.

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