Kingsford Pellets 2023 Launch

I led the launch of Kingsford’s 2023 pellet campaign using a scrappy, insight-driven challenger playbook to tackle our biggest hurdle: low product awareness. While Kingsford is well-known for charcoal, few consumers knew we made pellets — so we built a campaign designed to meet pellet grillers where they already were: Reddit, TikTok, streaming platforms, and search.

We became the first Clorox brand in three years to advertise on Reddit, using a native Ask Me Anything with a top grilling influencer to spark organic buzz. The media mix prioritized platforms trusted for product discovery while accounting for shifts in the privacy landscape. We also separated charcoal and pellet messaging to focus deeply on moments and audiences relevant to pellets — helping extend the grilling season and sharpen targeting.

Results:

• +72% CTR vs. Reddit CPG benchmarks

• +9% lift in brand awareness

• +30% organic Reddit mentions over 3 months

• 12% more efficient CPM than projected

This campaign reframed Kingsford’s role in the pellet space and laid the groundwork for long-term growth.