Kraft Heinz’s frozen food brand Delimex is giving an assist to gamers in the name of snacks.

In its first campaign after a rebrand, Delimex is “Feeding Gamers” literally and figuratively.

Through Nov. 18, Delimex is creating a team in three games—Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Warzone 2 and Overwatch 2—and will allow players to intentionally kill its team members in the games. It’s also setting up taco tucks and stands within the game where Delimix players will congregate, waiting to feed opponents kills and coupons.

The brand plans to feed gamers with coupons to purchase its Taquitos product, while the first-person shooter gaming term “feeding” is the act of dying repeatedly, thereby giving the enemy team easy points to boost their score. A feeder helps speed up a game that a player might be losing in, or if they want to start the game over fully in quick fashion.

However, these tactics tend to annoy and frustrate opponents who are trying to play competitively. Delimex is easing that tension with the campaign. 

“A campaign like this offers a unique opportunity for Delimex to enter a new arena and meet our target audience where they’re spending their time,” Lauren Nowak, brand manager for Delimex at Kraft Heinz, told Adweek.

Nowak said lines between snack time and meal time are blurring, making gaming an authentic place for a frozen food brand to make its first push post-brand refresh.

Frozen snack consumption saw a 7% increase in dollar sales from 2020 to 2021 and a 30% increase in dollar sales in 2021 compared to 2019, according to IRI Mulo. With gamers needing to find a quick fix for a snack, Delimex is hoping that its product fits the need, hence its entrance into the market through Call of Duty: Warzone 2, which debuted Wednesday.

Delimex is partnering with top gamers to livestream the Delimex team’s locations in games, while promoting coupons for its products.

The campaign was created with Kraft Heinz’s in-house creative agency, The Kitchen. Nowak said the campaign will live on Twitch and through Delimex’s key social channels, as well as in partnership with well-known gaming influencers. 

A rebrand fit for gaming

Earlier this year, Delimex—a fusion of the words “delicious” and “Mexican”—underwent a rebrand. As part of that rebrand, it updated the look of its packaging and flavors.

A Mexican frozen food brand founded in 1984, Delimex was purchased in August 2001 by HJ Heinz, which later merged with Kraft in 2015.

The brand’s target demo is what Nowak calls the “carefree enjoyment enthusiast. These folks live life with authenticity, joy and celebration. They seek out everyday moments to enjoy life and will take any opportunity to celebrate with their families, friends and communities with delicious and vibrant food.”

Though this is Delimex’s first foray into gaming, sister brands under the Kraft Heinz umbrella have used it as a marketing tool. Snack brand Lunchables launched a branded racing mini-game within Roblox, while Heinz teamed up with Call of Duty to help gamers find hidden spots within its Caldera map to rest and snack in a safe place.

The Delimex Call of Duty campaign is a near-exact replica of when Heinz utilized Twitch streamers to relay specific spots on a Call of Duty map to their audiences.

Nowak said Kraft Heinz as a whole has undergone a marketing evolution. The shift is seen more in the company trying to market its products through activations or stunts, such as Lunchables taking over FAO Schwarz toy store in New York or an 8-foot box of Velveeta in Central Park, rather than traditional television or social spots.

“We are now prioritizing ‘anti-advertising’ strategies where we start embracing the most optimistic role that we can play in people’s lives,” Nowak said. “Disruptive activations, such as Delimex feeding gamers, demonstrate the new kind of company we’re creating to further cement our brands as cultural icons.”