Bagel Bites
Project: Brand Experience Campaign
Background
In 1985, two men named Bob Mosher and Stanley Garczynski invented Bagel Bites, frozen packaged bagel and pizza snacks combined! Eventually, in 1990 it was inquired by Heinz and is still being sold to this day.
The Ask:
Make Bagel Bites relevant to the cultural heartbeat of today’s consumer and ultimately drive sales.
Business Challenge:
Bring back Bagel Bites as the go to snack to children and teens.
Today, the brand tries to keep up with their consumers through cultural trends and brand partnerships.
But it is not enough for this retro brand to be popular in 2023.
Bagel Bites wants to be culturally relevant to today’s younger consumer.
Target Audiences
Millennial and Gen X parents: Adults in their early 30s to early 40s, families of one to four, work on a 9-5 hybrid schedule.
&
Middle-school students ages 11-14 that are adept at using digital spaces to connect with friends and tune into pop culture.
Between the two, no one wants to buy Bagel Bites anymore!
Adults shared that the taste is no longer the same, resulting in them creating their version of Bagel Bites.
Middle schoolers believe Bagel Bites give an older appeal and a snack children their age don’t eat.
Before continuing the strategy, I stopped midway and discovered a connection between Millennial/Gen X parents and their children.
Bagel Bites brings back a time that no one ever forgets.
90s Nostalgia
Nostalgia allows Bagel Bites to stand out to the young population and shine away from the competitors.
The First Loop
Insight:
The teenagers embrace the 90s aesthetic because of their older siblings and parents. Through Bagel Bites, they have the opportunity to live and share a moment with their friends.
Connecting with my team made me realize there is a stronger reason teens are into the 90s culture. I dived into my second loop and it led me to discover on a different target audience.
The Second Loop
Who are we talking to? The Wanna-BeZ
NYC Teens ages 14-19 years old with secondhand exposure from the 90s culture (parents, older sibling, social media).
What makes them the “Wanna-BeZ?”
They occasionally listen to popular 90s music and watch 90s films with family members.
They purchase trendy vintage clothes and occasionally thrift with friends.
They constantly heard stories from family members about their great times as young adults or teens.
They’re Wanna Be-Z not only because of their siblings/parents but because of their family, The Wanna Be-Z yearn to experience the greatness of that era.
Insight:
From embracing the 90s aesthetic because of their older siblings or parent. They want to live in the moment with friends while living in the "great times" they never got to experience.
Messaging:
Bagel Bites wants teens and families to reminisce in the era, everyone loves.
Introducing…
A 90s
Bite
A social event in New York City targeted vibrant and social teenagers in high school as old as 19 years old. A 90s bite hoped to allow them to do what they want most, with a 90s twist.
The Block Party Had Three Stations:
-
Blockbuster Station
Educated teens on the popular 90 movies.
-
Music Station
Educated teens on the hit 90 songs they need on their playlists.
-
Fashion Station
Educated teens on the fashion trends that were in style during the 90s. And maybe something they need in their wardrobe.
The QR Code
Each item at the stations had a QR code attached to it. Teens scanned it to find out where they could access those items.
Blockbuster Station: The QR code attached to the VHS tapes showed teens where they can stream those movies.
Music Station: Teens were able to pick the songs they wanted to listen to, and the QR code on the cassettes allowed teens to a curated 90s Spotify playlist.
Fashion Station: The clothes tags on the rack had a QR code to scan that showed teens how people styled those pieces in the 90s.
