PHILLY takes on a devilish new tone and targets Gen Z with A Little Taste of Hell™ Cream Cheese

For decades, PHILLY has brought Canadians a little taste of heaven with its rich and creamy cream cheese. Now, designed for those who are craving irreplaceable experiences and looking for a spicy challenge, PHILLY is launching the first ghost pepper cream cheese to hit the Canadian market — A Little Taste of Hell™ Cream Cheese. This limited-edition, ghost pepper cream cheese is launching on none other than Friday the 13th. 

Leaning into the rise in preference for spicy foods, PHILLY knows that Millennials and Gen-Zs crave the heat and experiential moments.  Now they’ll be able to put their taste buds to the test by trying PHILLY’s A Little Taste of Hell™. 

“As a leader in the cream cheese category, PHILLY is always looking for unique ways to approach consumer trends and engage our fans. Last year, we put creativity and culture at the forefront by inviting the first human to heaven, and then bringing heaven to earth through our interactive ‘Stairway to Heaven’,” says Keenan White, Senior Brand Manager, Philadelphia Cream Cheese. “A Little Taste of Hell™, builds on this modern approach, and expands on PHILLY’s goal of sparking conversation while strengthening our bond with adventurous, spice-lovers through a unique, sensorial experience.”  

PHILLY’s A Little Taste of Hell™ is potentially Canada’s hottest cream cheese, made with ghost peppers that measure at 1,041,427 Scoville Heat Units and are considered 208x hotter than jalapeños. This hot-as-hell spread is so spicy, it even comes with a warning waiver and quirky protective hand coverings in case Canadians need help handling the heat.

The PHILLY A Little Taste of Hell™ integrated campaign launch includes OLV, social content across Instagram and Facebook, as well as earned media outreach, an influencer sampling program, and a partnership with one of Canada’s largest TikTokers, Celina Spooky Boo, all aiming to drive awareness. 

Making its debut in Toronto at 3:00 PM EST on Friday, January 13th, for one day only, PHILLY A Little Taste of Hell™ will be available exclusively via Uber Eats at PHILLY Taste of Hell, while supplies last. As part of the campaign, PHILLY is also calling on North Americans to share what city they’d like to see A Little Taste of Hell™ — with potential for this hot-as-hell cream cheese to descend on their city on the next Friday the 13th. 

The creative campaign and production was developed by Rethink, with Carat on media and Middle Child on public relations and influencers.