Kraft

Kraft Accused of Sexualizing Mac ‘n Cheese With #SendNoods Campaign, But We Were Sexualizing It Long Before That

Admit it: gorging on Kraft Mac & Cheese is on par with a sexual experience. Of course, we wouldn’t go broadcasting that – OK, yes we would, but only on after-dark Twitter. Never would we sexualize our guilty pleasure of eating sinful amounts of cheesy pasta in the presence of children.

Not so for Kraft, though, which recently launched an ad campaign called #SendNoods that landed the pasta brand in hot water. The promotion was meant to encourage mac and cheese fans to mail a free box (or a coupon for a box) of the cheesy stuff to loved ones as a pick-me-up during the coronavirus pandemic.

To announce the campaign, Kraft recruited Saturday Night Live actor Vanessa Bayer and posted a video of her on social media. “In these strange times, people are in need of extra comfort. That’s why it’s always a nice gesture to send noods,” Bayer said in the (now removed) video. “To be clear, I’m not advocating you send nudes to anyone. Send noods, not nudes.”

Photo: Instagram

Kraft also posted pixelated images of a bowl of gooey mac and cheese on its social media handles.

Karens swarmed immediately, claiming the company was sexualizing mac and cheese, engaging in predatory behavior, and grooming children. Many moms threatened to boycott the brand and switch to Annie’s instead. (To which we say, “Go ahead! More Kraft Mac & Cheese for us!”)

Photo: Instagram

According to a spokesperson for Kraft Heinz, the campaign was meant to celebrate National Noodle Day and “encouraged adults to send free noodles to loved ones to provide comfort and make them smile.”

Ah, but cancel culture won again and Kraft ended up removing any trace of the #SendNoods campaign. “We sincerely appreciate and hear all of your feedback,” the brand blandly stated on its social media channels.

After all was said and done, 20,000 people across the country did indeed receive their noods – and we gotta say, we’re insanely jealous.

Cover Photo: Kraft

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