Knorr Enlists Meg Stalter to Roast America's Worst Weeknight Chicken

Knorr wants your weeknight chicken to taste slow-roasted, even when you only gave it 20 minutes.

The Unilever brand partnered with actress, comedian, and musician Meg Stalter to headline the "Knorr Chicken Roast."

It's an event happening on August 10 at New York City's Nine Orchard Hotel to push its flavor-enhancing lineup.

The main goal is to let attendees know that the Chicken Bouillon and Premium Flavor Base can work as an everyday seasoning, not just a soup starter.

Chef Sohla El-Waylly joins the lineup to show guests how to use the products, closing the gap between a rushed weeknight meal and something that tastes like it spent hours in the oven.

Stalter, known online for her deadpan comedic timing, will spend the evening putting the internet's most disappointing chicken posts on trial.

"I'll say it: Some of the chicken dishes you're all posting online are truly shocking," Stalter said.

"STOP IT! Just add seasoning with Knorr Chicken Bouillon...it's called flavor, honey, look it up! I'm saving your tastebuds and your dignity right now, and honestly? You're welcome."

Celebrity marketing is in full swing this campaign, with a personality like Halter solving a product problem that's easy to visualize, and letting her comedic voice carry the sell.

"Roasting is what transforms simple ingredients into the rich, bold flavor people love most," said Melanie Capella, Knorr's Chief Growth Officer.

Capella continued, saying the company is making that experience accessible every night of the week by bringing in expert chefs alongside Halter. 

The Roast Goes National

Tickets for the in-person event drop today at 5:00 PM ET on a first-come, first-served basis, with attendees getting a tasting of Knorr's signature chicken recipes and event merch.

Knorr's campaign will also head to other cities with a "roast at home" kit giveaway.

Fans can enter by following @Knorr on Instagram, liking their post, and tagging their kitchen partners in the comments, with kits carrying takeaways pulled directly from the live event.

The campaign's direction is justified by two data points that emphasize its urgency.

Nearly three-quarters of meal-prep occasions now run 30 minutes or less.

Furthermore, the average American eats 103 pounds of chicken a year, even as 41% are actively trying to eat more protein.

Knorr is establishing its bouillon and flavor base as the fix for a category stuck between speed and taste, with a summer marinade and rub push meant to carry the campaign.

A Roast Format That's Having a Moment

Comedic "roast" marketing is turning into its own small category.

Planters put comedian Jeff Ross in the Roastmaster chair for its Mr. Peanut Super Bowl campaign a couple years back.

Meanwhile, Labatt USA built its summer platform titled "Brewed for the Roast" around comedian Big Jay Oakerson ribbing friend-group banter.

Knorr's version applies the same format to pantry seasoning, which rarely gets any personality of its own.

In each case, the format gives an otherwise flat product story a reason to hold attention.

Here are some takeaways for marketers watching this campaign:

• Borrow a tried-and-tested entertainment format: The roast is widely known and comes with audience expectations, so Knorr doesn't have to teach people how to engage with it.
• Let your talents' personalities shine by engaging with the customer: Stalter's role as judge gives the campaign tension a straight ad wouldn't have.
• Design the giveaway to make the campaign travel: The "roast at home" kits and Instagram entry mechanic let a one-night New York show generate a national moment.

The roast format works for Knorr for the same reason it's working for Planters and Labatt.

All of them transform a low-interest category into something worth watching.

Our Take: Can You Roast the Customer You're Selling To?

If you know a thing or two about comedy show etiquette, rule #1 is that you can't be offended. 

This same thinking applies to Knorr's latest campaign. 

The brand isn't apologizing for allowing Stalter to call your chicken bland, because it carries the very solution. 

Cooking content already lives in a pretty judgmental corner of the internet, and Knorr is asking people to laugh at themselves in the same breath it's asking them to buy something.

Now, all Knorr has to do is live up to its product.

Comedy can get people in the door, but a bouillon cube has to close the sale on its own.