Kraft Seeks New Shop For Kool-Aid, Capri Sun

The Kool-Aid Man, who was reborn last year in CGI form by Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, will soon have a new agency caretaker. A Kraft Foods Group spokesman confirmed that the marketer will move the kids' drink brand, along with Capri Sun, from Saatchi to another agency on its roster that it hasn't yet determined. Kraft's creative agencies include McGarryBowen (Oscar Mayer); CP&B (Macaroni & Cheese, Jello); TBWA, New York (Planters); WPP's Taxi (Maxwell House); and Wieden & Kennedy (Velveeta Cheesy Skillets). "We are looking at our roster for the best fit," spokesman Russell Dyer stated in an email. "We deeply appreciate Saatchi's partnership on these brands over the last few years." Saatchi declined to comment. The Publicis Groupe agency picked up creative duties on the two brands in early 2012 after Kraft yanked them from WPP's Ogilvy. Kraft in April of last year revived the Kool-Aid Man with colorful CGI and a more-developed personality. The spokespitcher first appeared in ads in 1954. The character's relaunch was accompanied by more spending. Kraft dedicated $25 million in measured media to the brand last year compared with nearly $8 million in 2012, according to Kantar Media. The ads are still running. Mr. Dyer said it was too early to determine if the campaigns for Kool-Aid and Capri Sun would change under a new agency. Kool-Aid comes in a variety of forms, including powders, liquid and in pouches. Sales of the powdered version fell to $318.6 million in the U.S. last year from $337.8 million, according to Euromonitor International. Capri Sun spent nearly $20.5 million on measured media last year, according to Kantar. Of late, the brand has been using ads to tout its new clear-bottomed packaging. The new packs were created in the wake of social-media chatter about mold that occasionally forms in the drink. The mold occurs because the drink has no preservatives, according to Kraft. The ads carry the tagline: "See the goodness before it's gulped." One recent ad shows a mom looking at the bottom of a pouch and declaring: "Now you can see there's no artificial colors or preservatives."

Kraft Seeks New Shop For Kool-Aid, Capri Sun

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