Kraft Singles Are Undergoing A Much-Needed Transformation

One thing that brings us back to feeling like a kid again, perhaps more than eating a grilled cheese sandwich, is spending time trying to get cheese slices out of plastic wrappers. We always thought it had something to do with our stubby little kid fingers, but the struggle to open a Kraft Single seems universal. So much so that the company just announced a new makeover for its Kraft Singles products. While the label and logo are getting an upgrade, the most interesting part is that the wrappers are being revamped, too.

For those who have stayed loyal to Kraft Singles while grocery stores started stocking fancy cheeses for cheeseboards, our childhood issue with the product remains: Those wrappers are tough to open. According to a Kraft press release, this has been the most common customer concern. However, the new Singles wrappers are designed to solve that problem. Now, the wrappers will be thicker, and the flap that needs to be grasped to open the packaging will be easier to locate and grip. 

Though there will likely always be those who insist Kraft Singles aren't cheese, these changes are intended to draw new customers. "With a versatile product like Kraft Singles, we want to ensure our customers have the best experience, especially when it comes to opening the wrapper to add our melty, irresistible cheese to any dish," said Alison Kelly, Director for Kraft Singles at Kraft Heinz.

It makes sense that Kraft felt it was time to give their American cheese singles a makeover since interest in American cheese has been dying. Neil Saunders, retail analyst and managing director at GlobalData Retail, told CNN, "There is a general perception that processed cheese singles are artificial and don't taste all that good." However, Kraft Heinz hopes its updated packaging, which features "a charmingly brazen tone of voice" and new typography, will bring in new customers and keep the old. Also, to address concerns about the ingredients list, Kraft's packaging claims Singles are made with real dairy and contain no preservatives, artificial colors, or flavorings.  

While a lot has gone into this rebranding effort, addressing the wrapper issue is bound to be helpful to the scores of people we found online who bemoaned the difficulty of Kraft's original packaging. "Do you know how hard it is to unwrap a Kraft Singles! Those wrappers are impossible to open. Impossible!" one Twitter user shouted into the void. "Y r Kraft Singles so devastatingly hard to open?" asked another Twitter user. There are even threads on Reddit of people asking for pointers on how to open Singles without struggling. Hopefully, the new design will make it easier for these cheese enthusiasts to get their melty, orange fix without enduring a struggle that can make even the most sophisticated adult feel like a frustrated little kid again.