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The “Macarena” is out and Mama Michelina is in. The Bellisio Foods brand has replaced the hit novelty song of the ’90s with a spoof of the real Michelina’s Mama that inspired their products and also appears on its packages (though the ads still end with a chorus of “Hey Michelina’s” to the Macarena tune).
“We decided to go back to [Michelina’s] roots,” said John St., art director Elizabeth Whalen, adding that bringing the character to life through advertising seemed like a natural fit for the brand.
The campaign consists of two 30-second television spots, a Facebook initiative and a YouTube video blog (vlog).
The television commercials feature Mama Michelina, who forces her ready-to-eat dinners on unsuspecting young men and woman. For example, in “The Wall,” Mama and her microwave drop down alongside a young lady scaling a rock-climbing wall. The woman is struggling to make it up the wall so Mama feeds her to give her more energy. Mama’s signature phrase, “Let Mama feed you,” is used in both commercials.
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The campaign extends to Facebook, where users can interact with Mama “Michelina Pastarelli” by adding her to their friends list. Targeted users will be encouraged to interact with Mama through sponsored Facebook newsfeed stories, which will run intermittently throughout the campaign.
A corporate Facebook page features the TV spots and a series of games, including animated football players and rock wall climbers trying to get past Mama for points. Mama will vlog, post photo albums and participate in discussions on the corporate page. The vlogs are also available on YouTube.
The TV campaign launched last month and will run until the fall.
