Napolean Dynamite x Ore-Ida

🪐 Overview

20 years after Napoleon Dynamite hid Tater Tots in his cargo pants—only to have them crushed by a bully yelling “GIMME SOME OF YOUR TOTS!”—Ore-Ida, the inventor of the Tater Tot, teamed up with Searchlight Pictures and Jon Heder (Napoleon himself) to finally give fans what they’ve waited for: justice. Enter the Tot-Protecting Pants—the first-ever pants designed to keep your tots safe. The anniversary collab launched with a national commercial spot and extended into a full 360 campaign, including features on multiple late-night shows and viral social coverage.

  • Napoleon Dynamite is a cultural touchstone for millennials—the same generation who grew up on Ore-Ida. By tapping into a film that’s both quirky and iconic, the brand reinforced its identity as a nostalgic constant in a chaotic world. The campaign reminded audiences that while trends come and go, tots (and Ore-Ida) are here to stay.

  • As social creative director, I led the social content strategy, execution, and creative direction across platforms. I worked closely with our internal teams and partners to ensure social content captured the humor, absurdity, and snack appeal of the campaign. I directed platform-native assets that leaned into nostalgic memes, appetite appeal, and real-time trend formats—driving engagement while staying true to both the film and the brand.

    We optimized content based on early performance, doubling down on meme-led visuals that felt fan-made, shareable, and deeply rooted in internet culture.

    • Directed and executed all social content tied to the campaign

    • Developed platform-specific assets designed to drive engagement across TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter

    • Worked closely with production to ensure social-first capture alongside commercial filming

    • Adjusted content strategy in real time based on performance data (memes emerged as top-performing format)

    • Helped translate a campaign rooted in nostalgia into an authentic, high-performing social presence

    • +12.2K new followers across TikTok and Instagram in June

    • Earned media coverage on multiple late-night TV shows

    • Meme statics became Ore-Ida’s top-performing social content of the year

    • Reaffirmed Ore-Ida’s “deliciously predictable” positioning with action, not just messaging

    • Successfully activated a multi-platform 360 campaign with PR, social, and paid alignment

🪐 Overview

For the 2025 Super Bowl, Instacart tapped Kraft Heinz icons—Heinz, Kool-Aid Man, and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile—for a national commercial spot. While the ad ran during the game, I led the social extension of the campaign, turning a single :30 broadcast moment into a full-on, multi-brand cultural presence across the streets (and feeds) of New Orleans.

From mascot-led mayhem to platform-native storytelling, we brought each brand to life in real-time—most notably reintroducing Kool-Aid Man as the chaotic, joyful mascot Gen Z didn’t know they needed back.

  • TV ads spark attention, but culture lives on social. With three legacy mascots in one Super Bowl commercial, we had a rare opportunity to turn brand nostalgia into digital relevance—especially among younger audiences who engage with brands where things feel real, weird, and reactive.

  • As Creative Director, I was boots on the ground in New Orleans, overseeing content direction and production for Heinz, Kool-Aid, and Oscar Mayer. I directed the mascots, led all on-the-spot content capture, and ensured our social assets were tailored to each brand’s voice while still laddering up to the overarching Super Bowl campaign.

    I also led the social reactivation of Kool-Aid Man, pitching and executing a bold reintroduction across platforms. From busting through balconies to vibing with partygoers, his content was designed to feel native, chaotic, and completely unforgettable.

    • Served as Creative Director for the full social campaign across three Kraft Heinz brands

    • Led all on-site directing, content capture, and talent direction in New Orleans

    • Concepted and executed Kool-Aid Man’s re-entry into social, positioning him as the ultimate party crasher

    • Ensured each brand had a distinct and ownable presence, connected by one Super Bowl storyline

    • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align brand voice, rollout timing, and performance goals

    • Created high-performing content across Heinz, Kool-Aid, and Oscar Mayer social channels

    • Kool-Aid Man’s comeback became a fan-favorite moment and laid the foundation for future reactivation plans

    • Successfully transformed a single commercial into a multi-day, multi-brand digital activation

    • Proved that legacy mascots can thrive in modern social when directed with clarity, energy, and cultural fluency

    • Positioned Kraft Heinz as not just participating in the Super Bowl—but owning the conversation around it