The Laughing Cow has stopped laughing, and it has put a QR code on its packaging to prove it.
The cheese company has launched a new marketing push that replaces the familiar smiling cow on its packaging with a frowning version. The change comes with a website called TheNotLaughingCow.com, two short videos, and a promise that the cow will “explain when she’s ready.”
The Packaging Change
The new packages are available in more than 4,700 stores across every state in the US. On the front cover, the frowning cow is accompanied by a QR code that directs customers to the website. The packaging itself reads simply: “We need to talk.”
The website features two videos. One shows the cow alone in a diner, looking forlornly out the window. The other shows it sitting alone on a swing set. Both videos and the homepage carry the same message: “After more than 100 years, The Laughing Cow has stopped laughing. We need to talk.”
The CMO’s Statement
Jamee Pearlstein, Chief Marketing Officer of Bel Brands, US Cheese, explained the move in a press release. “The Laughing Cow has spent more than 100 years reminding us not to take life too seriously,” she said. “So when she suddenly gets serious, you pay attention. Whatever finally got to her must be worth talking about. We’ll let her explain when she’s ready.”
The company has not offered an official reason for the change. The website encourages customers to await more news on social media.
Our View
This is a bold move from a brand that has made laughter its entire identity. Replacing a smiling logo with a frowning one is a statement, and the QR code turns that statement into an invitation. The company is asking customers to invest time — scanning the code, visiting the website, watching the videos — without giving them an answer yet.
The videos do not explain the change. They just show the cow looking sad. The website does not explain the change. It just repeats the message. The press release promises an explanation, but delivers none. That is the whole campaign.
The strategy depends on the audience staying curious. If customers lose interest before the cow explains, the campaign fails. If they stick around, the company gets exactly what it wants: attention.
Key Facts
- New packaging available in more than 4,700 stores across every state in the US
- Website: TheNotLaughingCow.com
- Two videos on the website show the cow in a diner and on a swing set
- Press release quote: “We’ll let her explain when she’s ready”
- No official reason given for the change
The company has created a mystery and handed customers the tools to investigate it. Whether that mystery gets solved is a question only the cow can answer.
See the a run of 46 images at Dexerto.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.