Introduced in 1937 and popularized by WWII soldiers, Spam is an 'American Classic.' However, its self-deprecating humor has reinforced its reputation as a joke, keeping it at the bottom of the shelf. To change this perception, Spam needs to take a risk.
Role: Lead Strategist
My first impression: Who doesn’t love Spam?!
Let’s be brief:
The Objective: Modernize Spam's perception through a new partnership
The Problem: Spam’s recognition is higher than consumption.
The Approach: Encourage people to try Spam by engaging all five senses.
Right now,
“Spam is so polarizing”
People either love it…
“ If you don’t like spam, it’s cuz it wasn’t cooked the right way 👏👏”.
-TikTok comment section
“It’s a reasonable source of protein, smells great, and it tastes great.”
or hate everything about it.
“No it’s stands for Stuff Possing As Meat”
-Amazon review
“Heart attack in a tin.”
-TikTok comment section
But there is a huge gap…
“…over 80% of Americans who haven’t purchased Spam yet.”
-Hormel Foods
That’s 8 out of 10 Americans who haven’t tried it. This is a huge gap for Spam to be targeting towards to change their perception.
Despite the loudest opinion being from lover/haters
of Spam, they’re just the minority on the spectrum.
The majority of the population falls into the ‘in-betweeners’ category — people who haven’t tried SPAM yet.
Love it
Hate it
So we dug into the 80% who
haven’t tried it yet (Methodology) …
30 Interviewees 5 Research locations 4 Research platforms 2 Focus Groups
Individuals who have
never tried Spam
3 groceries store
2 department stores
Reddit
Tik Tok
Amazon reviews
MRI/Simmons
Form groups with a diverse range of individuals to foster varied opinions
Perception:
“It’s like the food equivalent of getting picked last at recess.”
- Mom of 2
Quality:
“What is even in Spam? It just doesn’t look like real meat.”
- 21 out of 30 said this
Confusion:
“It’s just confusing because Spam isn’t
even stored with other meats in stores”.
- Grocery store employer
Truth is:
People are afraid of what they don’t know.
Spam is less favored in its category because its realistic
nature makes it hard for many to believe it is human-made,
leading to skepticism. When people don’t understand
something, their first instinct is often to reject it.
Strategy:
Idea:
Can we intrigue consumers by pairing SPAM with
an unexpected underdog that shares its DNA?
A parallel opinion:
“EDM is so polarizing”
People either love it…
“It’s not just the music, the experience
of listening to it is cathartic”.
- Raver (5+ raves), 28
“The craftsmanship in each music set is uniquely
tailored to the artist, making it impossible to replicate.”
-Raver (20+ raves), 21
“DJs are not real musicians and festivals are not real concerts.”
- Non-raver, 29
“(EDM music)…sounds like pots
and pans smashing together”.
- College student, 24
or hate everything about it.
Idea:
“SPAM RAVE”
The two shared almost the same DNA, both considered as “not real” in their category.
Creative Work:
Phase 1: “Teasing the Rave”
If people are already talking about Spam, we want it to be out of curiosity.
To build intrigue, Spam teases a big announcement with East Coast billboards
directing fans to its Instagram "Close Friends" for the reveal: a Spam x DJ Marshmello
collaboration. With his 2M+ follower cooking account launches “Cooking with
Marshmello” (now both his IG name and an album) featuring the high-energy single
“Meat Mosh,” blending food, music, and digital culture to make Spam buzzworthy.
Phase 2: “Rave Announcement”
Our goal is to get people to try Spam.
To build hype, we’ll narrow down to Orlando with billboards announcing “Spam Rave”
and the date “11-8-25”, just before EDC Orlando (one of the biggest raves on the East Coast). The campaign will be pushed out through OOH ads and Close Friends To get involved, fans can purchase a limited-edition “Spam Rave” can, and by eating
their Spam, they’ll reveal a hidden ticket code at the bottom. We’ll also share
recipes online to show fans how to cook their Spam.
Phase 3: “Spam Rave” - The 5 Senses
Spam Rave intrigues people to try Spam through their five senses.
If they’re doubting Spam because they just don’t know what it is, then what’s more human than experiencing it through their senses? From DJ Marshmello’s “Meat Mosh” set to the Spam food truck outside, we’re combining these unexpected elements to create a memorable experience that shifts people’s perception
of Spam and encourages them to finally Take the Bite of Spam!
Post Work Thoughts:
At first, combining Spam and EDM seemed absurd, but it turned out to be the perfect pairing. In class, we brought this vision to life with a Spam Rave featuring countdowns, glowsticks, and sticker stamps for entry. This campaign would show how Spam is boldly repositioning itself as a relevant and celebrated brand in today’s culture.
(p.s. a few people actually did try Spam for the first time afterwards)
Made By:
Art Directors: Graham Bartal / Mahek Asher
Experience Designer: Claire Snyder
Copywriter: Adam Fuller
Strategist: Joy Luong
