After 50 Years, A.1. Steak Sauce Ends Exclusive Relationship With Beef, Drops "Steak" From Name And Friends Other Foods

New Campaign Shows That A.1. Sauce is Good "For Almost Everything. Almost."

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May 15, 2014, 01:00 ET

NORTHFIELD, Ill., May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- After almost 50 years, A.1 Steak Sauce is no longer in an exclusive relationship with steak. Reflecting the dining habits of A.1. fans who enjoy saucing many different foods, the brand is returning to its original name, A.1. Sauce. A new creative campaign will launch Monday, May 19 to show that A.1. Sauce is good "For Almost Everything. Almost."

A.1. Sauce - new label version (PRNewsFoto/Kraft Foods Group, Inc.)

A.1. Steak Sauce - previous label version (PRNewsFoto/Kraft Foods Group, Inc.)

Invented in the 1820s by the chef of King George IV, and commercialized in 1862 for the masses, A.1. was marketed as a high-quality, do-it-all "saucy sauce different from any other, appreciated on Welsh rarebits, broiled lobster and English mutton chops." In the 1960s, the brand shifted focus to beef and the product was renamed A.1. Steak Sauce. Now, while the original product formula remains unchanged, the brand is removing "Steak" from its name and launching a new creative campaign that shows A.1. Sauce is great for pork, chicken, fish and vegetables. The redesigned label incorporates vintage details as a nod to the brand's roots as a sauce for almost everything.

"Eating habits have undergone a big transformation and A.1. is changing with them," said Cindy Halvorsen, Brand Manager, A.1. Sauce, Kraft Foods. "Our fans are saucing a variety of foods besides steak, so we wanted the brand name and campaign to reflect our wide-ranging appeal."

Created by CP+B-LA, the "For Almost Everything. Almost." campaign will feature the brand's first TV work in five years, along with digital, social, radio, out-of-home and in-store activations. Two TV spots will begin airing May 19, capturing the confident, swaggering attitude of A.1. Sauce fans who do things their own way.

As part of a humorous Facebook campaign, the brand is "friending" a vast array of other foods and sharing a funny video that shows the changing relationship status of A.1.with steak and its rekindled relationships with a variety of foods.

The brand will also be launching a new Pinterest page. Since A.1. is for almost everything, Pinterest boards will be filled with almost every food. Each board will celebrate a different food item and feature delicious recipes with that particular food. For example, one week might be all about pork.

For more information, visit www.a1original.com.

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS GROUP
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRFT) is one of North America's largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies, with annual revenues of more than $18 billion. With the spirit of a startup and the soul of a powerhouse, Kraft has an unrivaled portfolio of products in the beverages, cheese, refrigerated meals and grocery categories. The company's iconic brands include Kraft, Capri Sun, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters and Velveeta. Kraft's 22,500 employees in the U.S. and Canada have a passion for making the foods and beverages people love. Kraft is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 and the NASDAQ-100 indices. For more information, visit www.kraftfoodsgroup.com and www.facebook.com/kraft.