Kraft Singles and Kraft Peanut Butter to return to Australia
Kraft Singles and Kraft Peanut Butter will return to Australian supermarket shelves, nearly six months after the rebrand of Kraft Singles to Dairylea Slices.
The products, owned by Mondelez International, were sold to Bega Cheese as part of a $460m acquisition deal in January this year.
As part of the sales, Bega picked up brands including Zoosh and Bonoz, as well as licences for peanut butter, nut spreads, cheese and mac and cheese.
Bega also bought licenced the Dairylea brand in Australia and New Zealand.
Ahead of the acquisition’s completion, Kraft Singles was rebranded to Dairylea Slices, which caused outrage among consumers.
But according to news.com.au, the statement comes at the same time as a major legal battle between Kraft and Bega, who were called to a New York federal court after Bega allegedly violated Kraft’s intellectual property rights.
Currently, Kraft Peanut Butter is being made by Bega – with the original packaging design and recipe, but is unable to use the Kraft licensing name beyond 2017.
But next year The Kraft Heinz company which sold its products including Peanut Butter and Kraft Singles to Mondelez International in 2012, will bring back the brand name to Australian shores.
This means there could be a Bega Peanut Butter and a Kraft Peanut Butter in supermarkets.
The current branding used by Bega
On 3AW radio this morning, intellectual property expert Matthew Rimmer explained to listeners: “Kraft is complaining that Bega is engaging in blatant violation of Kraft’s intellectual property rights and want to prevent further injury to the world famous Kraft brand.
The new branding by Bega
But he added: “(Kraft) don’t necessarily have any kind of monopoly over the use of yellow or the use of peanuts.”
According to a release from Kraft Heinz, a company which merged in 2012, the ‘temporary absence’ of the product led the company to ‘listen to its loyal consumers’.
Bruno Lino, CEO of Kraft Heinz Australia described Kraft as a “way of life in Australia” and the company had a “unwavering commitment” to strengthen the brand locally.
“As a first step, Kraft cheese is making a comeback and Kraft Singles will start appearing on supermarket shelves over the next few days,” Lino said.
“Kraft Singles is an Australian staple,” Lino said.
Commenting on the relaunch of Kraft Peanut Butter in 2018, he added: “We are listening to our consumers and we know that Kraft Peanut Butter is the one Australians love.”
“Kraft has been the top of mind brand in Peanut Butter for Australians for the last eight decades and when we surveyed consumers, Kraft Peanut Butter commanded a mammoth 65% market share. In addition, two out of three Australian households had Kraft product in their pantry at any point in time.”
Lino told Mumbrella the future of the Kraft brand had never been in doubt.
“A series of historical corporate decisions saw the brand licensed to an external company for a limited period of time under strict conditions. It has always been our intention to continue with Kraft products in Australia.”
Both products will be supported by an extensive marketing campaign created by recently appointed creative agency Cummins & Partners.
This is the sort of things the Yanks do. One company sells off is product range to another company. Then the second company on-sells manufacturing rights to a third company (usually not American) and then the first company claims, at some stage, it has property rights over the branding. Then the first company goes legal in US courts looking for a hometown win. It seems close to fraud or extortion.
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now that Bega is selling it’s product Peanut Butter but having trouble from Kraft maybe a name change by Bega to the old Peanut Paste would be the answer.
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God I hope they also bring back the processed cheddar (in the blue box). The Bega variation that is supposed to be the same recipe is disgusting! IF it’s supposed to be the same then the person responsible for the recipe and the quality control team should be fired!
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I totally agree with Karen Hobbs. I only ateKraft Cheddar and the dairylea product is nowhere near the original Kraft one. For goodness sake if you are going to buy out a company it only makes good sense to carry on the same popular lines. ,,!!!!!???
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I agree Ozwords, I really feel for the Bega brand, when Kraft sold to Bega they should not be allowed to make the same product under their name or any other again.
And for all you people putting Bega/ daiylea down saying their products don’t taste the same maybe kraft never let their real recipes go to Bega in the first place so they could make a come back under their name again with the same old recipes.
I wouldn’t trust Kraft they have lost me, buy Australian you pack of traders.
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who wants to eat a slice of cheese wrapped up in cancer causing plastic
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I agree with Faye & Karen , please make sure they don’t change the recipe to Kraft cheddar in the blue box , I use it for a recipe I have been making for my kids & parties for 50 yrs
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