Cheez-It wants to keep consumers thinking and talking about its cheesy snack.  

And sometimes that means inserting its product into an experience they wouldn’t expect. Its latest iteration of this experiential marketing play was a nightclub pop-up in New York City.  

The idea is to tap into a “relevant behavior,” such as late-night cravings, of its target Gen Z market, said Cara Tragseiler, Senior Brand Director. 

And if those cravings hit on the dance floor, Cheez-It had a spot for those New York City consumers to satisfy their cravings. The brand took over the Virgo nightclub in the East Village with Studio Cheez. The club featured Cheez-It flavor martinis, bar food and a tap that poured Cheez-Its. 

They’re “creating unique experiences that are rooted in relevant behaviors that our audience has,” Tragseiler said. “Then making sure all elements of the experience is really distinctly Cheez-It and absurdly irresistible, which our fans just cannot get enough of and they cannot help but share.” 

Club Cheez Attracts 2,000 Attendees

More than 2,000 visitors attended the club, which was open for three days, from Thursday-Friday, Oct. 9-11. This is double the expected number of attendees and double the number of people who typically go to that night club during that time period, she said. It also had an invite-only event for influencers the day before the pop-up opened to further generate buzz.  

“We had lines going as long as three blocks down the street,” Tragseiler said. “We saw great social chatter behind it with fans, in our social comments, asking to bring this to more locations across the country.” 

The positive social media and earned media buzz was a top goal for the company, as well as having consumers think and talk about the brand. 

“We know our fans love Cheez-It, but it’s not always the first snack that they think of,” she said. “We’re always looking for ways to fuel conversation about the brand and keep Cheez-It top of mind. So the next time that they’re thinking about grabbing a salty snack, they think of Cheez-It first.” 

Tragseiler said the brand is not measuring a specific sales lift, and she declined to share the activation’s cost.  

Experiential Marketing

This was Cheez-It’s first night club marketing activation, but it has created other limited-time, in-person experiences. In 2023, it opened its own “gas station” dubbed the Cheez-It Stop, which had gas pumps that dispensed its snack bags and a convenience store selling only its products.  

The activation helped emphasize the snack is good for road trips. The following year, it had the Cheez-In Diner in Woodstock, New York, to again keep the snack top-of-mind for road trips.  

Experiential marketing is key to target Gen Z shoppers, but its previous activation with its Cheez-In Diner demonstrated the right campaign can attract audiences across generations, Tragseiler said.  

While the brand views Club Cheez a success, Tragseiler wouldn’t say if it will do it again. 

“We are always looking for what is that right, real-life experience that can connect us with our fans and celebrate the absurd irresistibility of Cheez-It,” Tragseiler said.