But there’s a brand perception problem. Knorr is perceived as “the Granny in the room” - a somewhat old-fashioned “flavourings” brand with associations to processed convenience foods – hardly the champion of natural, nutritious vegetables.

The challenge was to reposition Knorr as a fresh-thinking innovator, fully invested in inclusive nutrition – in a way that would generate talkability and boost appeal amongst fresh young audiences. As to how that could be achieved, any idea was on the menu.

Strategy As awareness of the gene TAS2R38 is so low, there’s also a bitter taste in society. Gene carriers are labelled “picky eaters”. To validate this, we conducted a study into stigmas faced by supertasters, which found 77% experience negativity from others, regardless of life stage.

But they're not “picky”, they're “supertasters” – a far healthier message to put into the world. By leveraging Knorr R&D, we could go beyond comms to develop an actual solution.

The first food product for supertasters would position Knorr as a pioneer of inclusive nutrition – and provide a story that could be shared via social influencers, events and news media.

As the issue affects gene carriers throughout life, the story would resonate with the widest possible audience – but we would refresh the brand by giving media focus to young Millennials and Gen-Z parents who particularly relate to the tensions caused by "fussy eating."

The idea: “Fussy”, “picky”, “difficult”… Society labels those of us who struggle to eat veggies. Yet 1 in 4 people are born with gene TAS2R38, known by scientists as the “supertaster gene”.

This makes many vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach and cabbage taste extremely bitter. It can also result in a lifetime of anxiety around food in social settings and avoidance of healthy meal options. So we invented the Supercube, for supertasters.

We believe this is the first food product made specifically for those with the gene, helping a quarter of the population enjoy a healthy, vegetable-packed diet. Based on the design of a vegetable bouillon, the Supercube is classified by Unilever as “a radically new innovation” since the technology (ingredient ratio) used to reduce bitterness requires significant modification of the entire bouillon formula.

The final product: Whilst the exact recipe is confidential (patent pending), The Supercube uses flavour science and a careful balance of natural herbs, spices and flavourings to reduce the flavours supertasters find bitter.

These ingredients modulate (turn on and off) certain key taste receptors on the tongue. The ingredients each cause different micro-effects on taste perception, operating in unison to reduce perception of the specific flavours supertasters find bitter.

The product consists of a pack of 12 Supercubes, packed in foil imprinted with positive messaging that defies social stigmas such as “fussy” and “picky” to recognise the user as a “supertaster”. The cube is versatile – it can be added to sauces, but also sprinkled over vegetables as a garnish.

Execution We (submitting agency) had the Supercube idea October 2023 and Knorr R&D immediately fast-tracked prototype development. “Predictive flavour modelling” allowed testing of hundreds of natural ingredients that modulate tastebuds, while design teams developed packaging.

Pre-launch, we generated talkability by developing a Knorr branded test kit – paper strips infused with “PROP”, a scientifically established test for the gene. Influencers shared their results and the public could request kits via supertasters.se.

We also developed the first study exploring the stigma faced by supertasters, with sensory expert Dr. Johan Swahn and 94 confirmed supertasters. The story of the limited edition Supercube launched 19 February with the opening of a restaurant dedicated to confirmed supertasters – Stockholm’s Nabo brasserie rebadged as “Supertasters”.

Films captured supertasters loving the foods they normally hate and were distributed via social media through March and April. The product is aimed for retail rollout in 2025.

The results: The Supercube is a radical new food technology, validated to “significantly reduce bitter flavours” by an independent expert sensory panel.

The innovation reached 144 million via coverage in Sweden’s most popular news outlets: TV4 Nyhetsmorgon, P4 Extra, Göteborgs-Posten, plus various food, lifestyle and health titles in Sweden and beyond. Our entire stock of 30,000 test strips were sent on request to the public in one week.

Demand for the product has been proven: 70% of consumers who saw the news would buy the Supercube. Brand perception aims were achieved too: 80% perceive Knorr as inclusive, 85% view Knorr as more innovative than before.