Ritz crackers have been on grocery store shelves for 91 years, but even household brands with legacy products need to evolve from time to time. So as part of its repositioning from classic cracker to modern, savory snack, Ritz is leaning into live events that appeal to young, diverse audiences. In August, that included activating a Salty Club pop-up in Puerto Rico that supported its sponsorship of Bad Bunny’s sold-out No Me Quiero Ir de Aqui summer residency in San Juan.
In Ritz’s strategic push to distinguish itself from the traditionally dominant sweet category earlier this year, the brand aired its first-ever Super Bowl commercial with a storyline that took place inside the “Salty Club” featuring a series of snarky interactions that tapped into pop culture’s definition of “salty,” and included an appearance by Bad Bunny. As a continuation of the artist partnership, and the narrative, the brand activated a real-life Salty Club from Aug. 8-9 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, where the global superstar was performing.
“While we definitely are laser-focused on modernizing the brand and connecting with multicultural audiences and younger demographics, we always make sure that we stay true to the brand,” says Steven Saenen, category president-savory snacking at Mondelez. “It’s still our core mission to welcome people of all walks of life and create connections. That Super Bowl commercial where we introduced Bad Bunny is a good example of that. We’re starting to lean into a new creative direction and more humor and more fun, but it still all ladders up to: everybody’s welcome here, salty or otherwise.”
The centerpiece of the Salty Club activation was a themed photo op that had fans transforming into their saltiest selves. The footprint additionally included “No Smiles Allowed, courtesy of management” signs peppered throughout, cracker-themed tabletops, sassy messaging on walls and decorative pillows, merch that included an exclusive Ritz box with packaging that tied into the residency’s branding, and a few mini-mic interviews that had attendees dishing on the person at home who was the saltiest that they couldn’t be at the event IRL. Influencer partners were also on hand to amplify the experience.
Looking ahead, Saenen says Ritz will continue tapping into consumer passion points, with a particular focus on sports, which is not only a “very big cultural point of interest for our consumers, but also a key consumption occasion.” More time and resources are slated to be allocated to the category, he says, as the brand ramps up existing partnerships with properties like the NCAA Final Four and Fanatics Fest, and scouts out new ones.
“We’re evolving the overall marketing mix as a whole,” Saenen says. “So while the upper funnel, brand equity, will always remain key, we’re really starting to disperse some investments and resources toward all the other elements of the marketing mix—and experiential events is a part of that. It’s a unique way to engage with fans, to gather feedback directly one-on-one, and to send them home with some great lasting memories and some great samples.”
Photos: Courtesy of Ritz
