Stouffer’s tackles the dreaded ‘What’s for dinner?’ question in hilarious new ad campaign
In two new ads, the question we all ask ourselves in the afternoon and early evening follows Americans everywhere — in the most absurd ways imaginable.
Dinner dread strikes at the most inconvenient times, leaving us all wondering, "What’s for dinner?" Nestlé Stouffer’s has turned this universal quandary into their new campaign, ‘When the Clock Strikes Dinner,’ in one of its biggest integrated efforts in years.
Created by VML New York, this campaign is everywhere—literally. Imagine driving down the street or flipping through a magazine, only to spot fake ads for perfume, razors, and jewelry, all sneakily featuring the question, “What's for dinner?”
“We turned an age-old question, ‘What’s for Dinner?,’ to a cultural moment of Dinner Dread to create one of our biggest integrated campaigns in years,” said Megan McLaughlin, senior brand manager at Nestlé, in a statement shared with The Drum.
“As consumers encounter our campaign flipping through a magazine, commuting to work or listening to music on Spotify, we hope they will be inspired to add Stouffer’s to their cart and stock their freezers and know there’s always a solution for dinner.”
Explore frequently asked questions
Inspired by the brand’s new tagline, ‘When the Clock Strikes Dinner,’ Stouffer’s latest TV commercials, ‘Homeward’ and ‘Wednesday Walk,’ show the absurdity of dinner dread. As soon as the clock strikes 4 pm, the protagonists in these ads start to hallucinate: in Homeward, a man is besieged by both people — like a construction worker — and inanimate objects, such as a billboard, all asking him the dreaded question. Similarly, in Wednesday Walk, a young woman finds herself confronted by an oddly inquisitive baby in a stroller asking, “What’s for dinner?” Both spots premiered during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
According to Rosie Bardales, chief creative officer, VML New York, peak dinner dread occurs between 4 and 6 pm for most Americans, which inspired the campaign.
Advertisement
VML has teamed up with fellow WPP agency OpenMind for a media takeover across major cities including Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, DC, Indianapolis, Tampa, and LA. The campaign features digital out-of-home ads during peak dinner dread hours (4-6 pm) and a fun Spotify element.
Plus, this week’s issues of People and US Weekly will feature consecutive Stouffer’s ads disguised as typical product ads.
Seeking more creative campaigns? Check out our Ad of the Day section and sign up for our Ads of the Week newsletter so you don’t miss a story.