Kraft Mac & Cheese's New Billboard Is Drawing Attention In Philadelphia
Sometimes you just need a hug. And right now, Kraft is banking on the city of Philadelphia needing a little consoling. After losing a close Super Bowl 38 to 35 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, the people of Philly could really use a hug right now. Maybe even something like a hug for your stomach. By which, of course, we mean some comfort food. If you're bummed out, the right meal really can turn your mood around. There's even a National Library of Medicine study stating that carb-rich food, like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, can improve one's spirits. Those carbs send signals to your brain to raise serotonin levels, causing you to experience a boost of positive emotion. Dairy, a key element of man 'n cheese, is also believed to boost dopamine levels, which also increases feelings of happiness.
Hugs give you a boost as well, this time thanks to oxytocin, which Healthline calls "the cuddle hormone." So what Philly really needs right now, scientifically speaking, is a hug and a bowl of carbs and dairy. Good thing Kraft has got them covered, surprisingly on both fronts.
Kraft to the rescue
While many of us can relate to grabbing a bowl of Kraft macaroni and cheese to ease our sorrows with creamy orange sauce when we've had a rough day, how many people can say they've actually hugged Kraft macaroni and cheese? More than you would think, apparently. Following the Philadelphia Eagles devastating Super Bowl defeat , The Drum reports that Kraft has put up a 10-foot billboard in Philly offering free hugs. The billboard is located in Philly's Rittenhouse Square. Dejected fans can take consolation in a hug from a giant noodle dripping in cheese sauce, complete with noodle-shaped arms. Kraft didn't waste any time, erecting the billboard Monday morning following the Sunday night defeat. The billboard reads "Need a hug, Philly? Help yourself." The 3-D noodle even hugs back, sort of (per Instagram).
Not content with offering only oxytocin — and for those of you who were wondering, yes, you can get the benefits of a hug from inanimate objects– Kraft came through with the comfort food as well. On Monday, the famous brand handed out 100 servings of prepared and ready-to-eat Kraft mac n' cheese between noon and 1 p.m., saving Philadelians the hassle of scrounging around for hacks to make boxed mac n' cheese better. Plus, the mac is free, which does, after all, make everything better.