How Kraft Mac & Cheese Turned Time Travel into Comfort Food

When storytelling meets supper, magic happens. That’s exactly what unfolded when Kraft Mac & Cheese partnered with Netflix’s The Adam Project. Instead of riding the coattails of a big movie release, Kraft crafted a narrative of its own—one that felt personal, warm, and quietly powerful. No product pitch. Just a shared moment between past and present, wrapped in the kind of comfort only Mac & Cheese can deliver.

The campaign featured a short film titled "Krafty Kid", a lighthearted and well-crafted piece focused not on selling a product but on telling a story. A narrative where nostalgia met pop culture, and a familiar comfort food became a symbol of connection across time—bringing back memories of simpler, warmer moments.

No hard sell. Just soft cheese and strong emotions.

Set within the world of The Adam Project, the ad flipped the usual promotional trope. Instead of using the movie as a backdrop to showcase the product, it used the product—Kraft Mac & Cheese—as a bridge to explore the film’s core emotion: reconnecting with your younger self.

We watched as a boy, a younger version of the movie’s protagonist, shared a moment with his future self over a bowl of Mac & Cheese. It was tender. It was funny. And it made an immediate connection between Kraft’s brand identity and the film’s message.

The execution was clean. The tone, witty but not loud. The message, unmistakably clear: some things never change, and that’s a good thing.

This campaign taught us something crucial: not every branded partnership needs to shout. The Kraft x Netflix collaboration leaned into subtlety. It is understood that emotional alignment is far more powerful than visual dominance.

Rather than slapping logos on scenes, Kraft nestled itself into the narrative. It didn’t try to be the main character. It simply became part of the story. And in doing so, it became part of the memory.

For a brand that has long stood for comfort, this was more than product placement. It was a clear expression of purpose.

In a world of aggressive calls to action and fleeting trends, the Krafty Kid campaign stood out by looking back. Not just at a younger version of a character, but at the timeless role food plays in memory, family, and identity.

Sometimes, the smartest way forward is a quiet step back. Kraft reminded us that brand love doesn’t always come from disruption. Sometimes, it comes from a warm bowl of Mac & Cheese—and the reminder that no matter how far you go, there’s always a version of you that finds comfort in the simple things.