Don’t Kraft Shame Me feat. John Legend & Chrissy Teigen
Role: Senior Social Strategist @ Salt XC (in-house for Kraft Heinz)
The Brief
Kraft wanted to find an authentic, culturally relevant way to re-energize its brand voice and connect with online communities that often drag the brand as much as they love it.
So, we started with whitelists.
The Spark
Chrissy Teigen teased John Legend for making Kraft Mac & Cheese, and he clapped back with: “Don’t Kraft shame me.” That one line gave Kraft the perfect cultural entry point — funny, self-aware, and rooted in how people actually talk about the product.
The Insight
Kraft has always been both loved and roasted online. Instead of avoiding the jokes, this was the moment to lean in, take ownership of the “shame,” and flip it into a playful badge of pride (lowercase “p”) that fans could rally around.
The Idea
I built a community management–driven activation that took the Teigen/Legend moment and extended it into a full-blown campaign. By amplifying fan conversation and strategically engaging in real time, the brand moved from being the butt of the joke to owning the narrative.
The Execution
Community management in real time → monitored and amplified social chatter sparked by John & Chrissy.
Celebrity amplification → rode the wave of their posts without paid partnership.
Packaging extension → turned the viral phrase into limited-edition “Don’t Kraft Shame Me” Mac & Cheese boxes.
Press traction → the activation spread to mainstream coverage, including TMZ.
The Impact
40M+ earned impressions
Organic celebrity participation (John & Chrissy)
Viral cultural moment → physical packaging
Kraft repositioned itself as a playful, self-aware culture participant