RITZ Crackers and Onion Labs "Rap" The Holidays with Cheer

EAST HANOVER, N.J., Dec. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ensuring holiday gatherings and celebrations go-off without a hitch can create stress, even for a seasoned pro. RITZ Crackers, known for bringing the FUN to any party, decided it was time to disrupt the yuletide chaos with some entertainment by joining forces with The Onion. The duo surprised unsuspecting mall shoppers with a special take on the traditional gift wrapping station – with RITZ Wrapping Rappers. The surprise generated smiles from onlookers and patrons alike.

RITZ Crackers wanted to find ways to help consumers smile through the stress of the holidays. To help pinpoint the causes of holiday stress, the brand took a close look at historical social and search data to uncover high volume must-do seasonal tasks. "Buying and wrapping gifts popped as one of the big things that tend to stress consumers in early December.  So, we wanted to find a creative way to remind them that even the most mundane holiday tasks can be fun," said Katrina Cohen, Senior Brand Manager of RITZ at Mondelez International. "We wanted to create a moment that would enable us to interact with and delight consumers, and also allow people to share the smiles online afterwards."

Thus, the unexpected partnership with The Onion and their creative services division, Onion Labs was forged, and the RITZ Wrapping Rappers came to life. The video, which captured onlookers via a hidden camera, adds some much-needed festive cheer and comic relief back into this less-than-fun holiday activity.

A Part of the Parade
The RITZ Wrapping Rap is just one stop of The Great RITZ Holiday Parade, an innovative, multi-platform campaign designed to intersect consumers at key stressful moments and transform them into enjoyable ones. Each stop on the parade route offers strategically-planned content and value to maximize utility and fun for the entire family. The brand hopes the "Wrapping Rappers" help remind people to smile through the stress this holiday season.

"RITZ is staying ahead of the curve with their strategy by going beyond traditional marketing and tailoring specific messages to its audience, but all the while being complimentary to their brand's core values," said Mike McAvoy President, Onion Inc. "We are very happy that Onion Labs was able to help them deliver that message in an entertaining way."

Timing on the Wrapping Rappers video was perfect for The Onion. The publication recently completed the transition of becoming a 100% digital company, and the shift out of the print business allowed The Onion to be a better parody of today's 24-7 news cycle, and created more opportunities for Onion Labs to create unique content for brands that engages key demographics in a smart way.

Weber Shandwick is the agency who co-concepted, wrote and produced RITZ Wrapping Rappers with Onion Labs and the RITZ brand team.  The social, digital and broadcast components of The Great RITZ Holiday Parade campaign were developed through an inter-agency effort led by Havas Worldwide, MediaVest and VaynerMedia.

Visit theonionlabs.com starting December 13 to watch and be sure to check out RITZParade.com to find exclusive offers and more fun.

About Mondelez International
Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ) is a global snacking powerhouse, with 2012 revenue of $35 billion.  Creating delicious moments of joy in 165 countries, Mondelez International is a world leader in chocolate, biscuits, gum, candy, coffee and powdered beverages, with billion-dollar brands such as Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate, Jacobs coffee, LU, Nabisco and Oreo biscuits, Tang powdered beverages and Trident gum. Mondelez International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor's 500, NASDAQ 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com and www.facebook.com/mondelezinternational. 

About Onion Labs
Onion Labs is the in-house advertising and marketing team of The Onion. Onion Labs creates branded entertainment, integrated video series, and custom advertising programs. Visit us at labs.theonion.com.

Video with caption: "You can check out the Ritz Holiday Parade here - http://www.ritzparade.com.  Want to liven up a day of holiday shopping at the mall? All it takes is some ribbon, some tape and some old-school gift rap." Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCmPhj3UaF8

SOURCE Mondelez International, Inc.