The Ad Breakdown Campaign: Cauldron Foods x Ruby Lou "Wicked" Collaboration Format: Instagram Reel (Collab Post) Ad Link: Watch the Campaign Here Result: 141% Engagement Rate (Highest performing ad of November 2025) Core Strategy: The "Pop Culture Piggyback"
The Hook: "We’ve been busy in the kitchen..." (Wait, that’s not the hook)
The real hook wasn't the caption. It was the visual pattern interrupt.
In a feed dominated by polished, high-production food ads, Ruby Lou’s video started with a chaotic, high-energy "Wicked" transformation. It didn't look like an ad for tofu; it looked like a creator having fun.
Why it worked: Our team dissected the first 3 seconds. Instead of a product shot (the "Villain" of boring ads), they led with the cultural moment. The video opens with the creators dressed as Glinda and Elphaba—characters that were dominating the global conversation due to the Wicked movie release.
The Lesson for SMBs: You don't need a licensing deal to ride a cultural wave. You just need to be part of the joke. If everyone is talking about Wicked (or the Super Bowl, or a viral meme), your product needs to show up in costume.
The Structure: The "This vs. That" Engagement Trap
Most SMB ads fail because they ask for too much. "Buy this." "Sign up." "Learn more."
This campaign asked for something much simpler: an opinion.
"So tell us… pink or green? 💚💗 Which dish is your winner?"
This is the "This vs. That" framework in action. By presenting two distinct options—Pink Beetroot Pasta (Glinda) vs. Green Falafel Flatbread (Elphaba)—they forced the audience to pick a side.
The Psychology: Humans are tribal. We love to categorize ourselves. "I'm a Glinda." "I'm an Elphaba." By tying the product (tofu/falafel) to an identity, the comment section exploded not with product questions, but with identity declarations.
The SMB Tactic: Stop asking people to buy. Ask them to choose. "Option A or Option B?" "Team Coffee or Team Tea?" * "Minimalist or Maximalist?"
The Execution: "Invisible" Product Placement
Read the comments on the post. One user wrote: "I absolutely LOVE how I didn’t even realise this was an ad until the multiple cauldron products came in 🩷💚 promo done right!!"
This is the holy grail of influencer marketing: The Trojan Horse.
The product (Cauldron Tofu) wasn't the hero of the story; it was the enabler of the story. The tofu made the pasta pink. The falafel made the flatbread green. The product served the creative concept, not the other way around.
The Mistake Most Teams Make: They force the creator to hold the bottle next to their face and smile. It feels fake. It feels like an interruption.
The Fix: Give creators a concept, not a script. Tell them: "We want to be part of the Wicked conversation. Here is our product. Make something that fits your channel."
The "Pop Culture Piggyback" Framework (Steal This)
Your 3-person team can execute this strategy next week without a massive budget. Here is the 3-step system:
Identify the Wave: What movie, show, or event is about to dominate your customer's feed? (Check Google Trends or TikTok Creative Center).
Find the "Wedge": How does your product fit into that world?
Selling CRM software during the Olympics? "Gold Medal Follow-up Strategies."
Selling coffee during Election Day? "The only choice that doesn't stress you out."
The "This vs. That" CTA: Create two variations and ask your audience to vote.
The Verdict
This campaign didn't win because Cauldron Foods has the biggest budget. It won because they understood that in 2025, relevance is the new reach.
They didn't interrupt the Wicked conversation; they joined it. And for the cost of a few packs of tofu and a creator fee, they got more engagement than brands spending millions on TV spots.
Your Move: Look at your content calendar for next week. Is there a definately cultural wave you're ignoring? Grab your surfboard.
by CH
for the AdAI Ed. Team
