How Kraft Dinner gave mealtime a boost with Twitch streamers

KD for dinner. KD for lunch. KD for snack time. Kraft Dinner is made to be enjoyed any way—and anytime—you like it. A favorite dish for cheese lovers everywhere can now be enjoyed spicy, savory, or sweet with KD Flavour Boost in Canada. With their “Bits for Boost” program, Kraft Heinz Canada teamed up with Twitch to introduce six new flavors to the largely adult Gen Z and millennial livestreaming community through the first Kraft streaming store on Twitch.

Kraft Dinner has been at the center of Canadian dinner tables since 1937. Now, KD is offering mac-and-cheese lovers six new tastes to experience the cheesy goodness they know and love: Buffalo Wings, Butter Chicken, Ghost Pepper, Jalapeno, Poutine, and Cotton Candy.

These bold new flavors are designed for younger adults who have an appetite for adventure. But how is a grocery-store staple to reach an audience that prefers their shopping online and their entertainment streamed? That’s where Twitch comes in.

Kraft Heinz Canada aimed to raise awareness for their boldest mac and cheese—while being true to the spirit and culture of the Twitch community. Working with Twitch’s Brand Partnership Studio, Kraft developed the first Kraft streaming store on Twitch with rising streamers tending to the register.

Canada-based streamers Sloot, Jessu, and TheStaceyRoy each took a shift hosting KD-sponsored livestreams as unique as cotton candy–flavored mac and cheese. Viewers tuned in to watch their favorite content creators taste-teste all six varieties of KD Flavour Boost and witness their live reactions to the spicy, savory, and sweet KD creations.

The interactive livestreams offered viewers numerous ways to enjoy KD’s cheesy goodness. Taking inspiration from the in-game stores Twitch viewers and gamers were accustomed to, the KD allowed viewers to “Cheer” with 500 Bits, Twitch’s virtual goods used for supporting streamers, for a six-pack of KD Flavour Boost.

Viewers also had the chance to unlock prizes provided by Kraft, including gear to level up any gamer’s setup, as well as 30-packs of KD Flavour Boost by typing #KDBoost into the chat during the livestreams. Ninety prizes were given away across the three livestreams, in addition to 600 gifted “subs,” subscriptions to streamers’ channels that unlock exclusive perks like subscriber-only chat or custom emotes and badges.

Kraft Heinz Canada used a variety of Twitch advertising solutions to increase awareness for KD Flavour Boost during the months leading up to the three sponsored livestreams, and to keep these fresh varieties of mac and cheese top of mind with Canadian Twitch viewers.

KD reached viewers with above-the-fold, unskippable ads across desktop, mobile, console, and more through Twitch Premium Video ads. With First Impression Takeovers, KD Flavour Boost starred in the first ads Canadian viewers saw each day upon visiting Twitch. KD’s brand messaging also surrounded Twitch’s most exclusive inventory, the homepage carousel, with Headliners attracting viewers to the digital storefronts on Sloot, Jessu, and TheStaceyRoy’s channels.

The results? After two months of advertising on Twitch and three custom livestreams, Kraft Dinner experienced a lift in both aided and unaided awareness among viewers who witnessed the program on Twitch. KD made valuable contributions to the Twitch community by spotlighting up-and-coming streamers and forged new ties with the gaming community, with a boost to the brand's associations with gaming.

By leaning into Twitch’s unique culture and playing co-op with streamers, brands can find new ways to share their products with relevant—and passionate—communities.