Homeless Man Ted Williams Is the New Voice of Mac & Cheese

Carol Phillips, marketing adjunct instructor, comments on Kraft Foods recently hiring homeless man Ted Williams as its new advertising voice.

Published
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) – The new voice of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is a homeless man and former drug addict.

Ted Williams, the Columbus, Ohio, panhandler who has become an overnight sensation ever since a local newspaper posted video of him showing off his golden pipes Monday, will lend his voice to a new ad for the brand that will debut Sunday, Kraft Foods told Ad Age.

(excerpt)

Despite his checkered past – and even if he were to get in trouble again – Kraft faces little risk in using him because everybody loves a redemption story, said Carol Phillips, a branding expert and president of Brand Amplitude.

"It's like practically free publicity," she said. "It's showing that they are in the pop culture and responding. I think there's a lot more upside than downside."

To read the entire article, visit AdAge.com.

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