Kraft Heinz’s Lunchables has launched a campaign, “The Lunchable Effect,” for its pre-packed lunch line for the first time in several years, inspired by nostalgic social media conversations surrounding the product. The effort aims to reignite interest in the brand for children and parents alike, with the idea that the product can have a positive social impact for kids during difficult moments.
“The Lunchables Effect: Fractions” :15 seeks to remind consumers of the product’s enduring role as a classic and beloved everyday choice, and as a valuable bargaining chip.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the “The Lunchable Effect: Fractions” :15 spot.
The Details:
- iSpot media measurement reports a strong favoring since launch (7/14/25-8/4/25) of the :15 “Fractions” creative on both linear and streaming:
- An Attention Index slightly below norm for “Fractions” points to optimization opportunities with the media plan due to higher Interruption Rates.
- iSpot Creative Assessment places the “Fractions” :15 in the 90th percentile in breakthrough (Attention and Likeability) and Watchability, with the ad also recognized as something new/different (Change):
- Viewers found the characters to be the most impressionable aspect of this spot, which earned above-norm response among females of every age as well as M50+, and at-norm resonance among M21-35.
- The ad sparked Nostalgic feelings as intended and successfully conveyed the Convenience of Lunchables; however, it did not persuade to the level of the average meals ad. 47% of all viewers expressed a higher likelihood of purchase vs a benchmark of 54%.
- The ad served well as a strong brand reminder with a healthy 87% successfully recalling Lunchables on an unaided basis after a single exposure (to outpace category norms by +10 pts).
- Viewers found the characters to be the most impressionable aspect of this spot, which earned above-norm response among females of every age as well as M50+, and at-norm resonance among M21-35.
- “Fractions” outperformed Lunchables’ other :15, “This Moment,” confirming the continued favoring of the former in forward media plans:
- The ad also outperformed 2024 Lunchables spots while matching the consumer intent sparked by “Hippo.” As such, the campaign is as, if not more, effective vs earlier Lunchables ads despite trailing category Top 2 Box intent levels.
- Viewer comments on the newest campaign ads reveal a similar level of Healthy and Yummy signal recorded, with the convenience of the product standing out most to the audience in both spots.
- The high points of the “Fractions” spot were the nostalgia it brought forth along with the clever bartering situation shown, which for some, conveyed a sense of value/goodness to the brand. However, others objected primarily on the basis of the product itself.
- The ad also outperformed 2024 Lunchables spots while matching the consumer intent sparked by “Hippo.” As such, the campaign is as, if not more, effective vs earlier Lunchables ads despite trailing category Top 2 Box intent levels.
Sample comments on “Fractions” :15
“I think this was smart because it works on two target audiences. It makes kids see Lunchables as potentially being so desirable that they’d be willing to do fractions for them, and it holds up a (albeit dim) hope that giving their kids Lunchables might even make them get better at math. Also, it was funny.”
Female 21-35
“Learning can be anywhere and their product is great for school lunches. Kids like to trade their food items. They paired learning and their product in a positive way.”
Female 36-49
“Relatable and cute to anyone with children and sends a positive message about the brand.”
Male 21-35
“The ad is cute and predictable with its characters, but immediately lost my interest simply because of the product. I have never had any interest in this product for my own consumption nor my kids, and was never a big fan of it even as a teacher. The ad was just okay, the characters a bit over the top.”
Female 50+
“I do not support this product because there is no real nutritional value in the product and I would never buy it to feed anyone, especially children.”
Female 50+
“Lunchables were great when I was a kid, but the thought of them doesn’t sit well with me now.”
Male 36-49
“Watching this ad brings me back to my childhood. It makes me happy to know they are still around for the new generations to enjoy.”
Male 36-49
“I liked how the children were using math while interacting with the product. I think it appeals to both parents and children.”
Male 36-49
“Good ad. Shows that the product can bring people together and is good enough to bargain/negotiate for.”
Male 21-35
“I love that there were multiple races represented in the ad to increase the visibility of diverse perspectives. I love that there was humor in the ad as one child looked to the other to determine if the deal being made was a good one.”
Female 21-35
“The brand is so good it’s worth trading traditional lunches with you.”
Female 36-49
- Second-by-second trace results indicate that the earlier product reveal in this year’s campaign succeeded in attaining a higher level of engagement within the broad audience:
- “The Lunchables Effect” ads both cemented the Lunchables brand name effectively within the short :15 span.
- “Fractions” displayed the strongest ability to resonate with the key target of viewers with children in the household as well as across ethnicity:
- The characters and the unique storyline seemed to have set “Fractions” apart from other brand ads:
Showcasing the product in a relatable school setting, Lunchables creatively positioned the product as good enough to barter with.This approach, while arriving amid increased competition, proved to be a clever way to leverage nostalgia and cement the brand’s commitment to its legacy as a beloved choice for back-to-school season.
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Creative Agency: Mischief