Knorr, Unilever’s largest food brand, has a mission to get as many people as possible eating healthy vegetables by “making the good stuff irresistible”. 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.

“Fussy”, “picky”, “difficult”… Society labels those who struggle to eat veggies. Yet 1 in 4 people is 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 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. Unlike usual stock cubes that add flavour, this reduces certain flavours. The cube works its magic with natural herbs, spices and some clever flavour science. Whether infused or sprinkled as a garnish, the ingredients work in unison to activate and deactivate key taste receptors on the tongue, reducing perception of flavours supertasters find bitter.

As public 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 the first ever study into the stigma faced by supertasters, which found 77% experience negativity from others, regardless of life stage. But they are not “picky”, they are “supertasters” – a far healthier message to put into the world. By leveraging Knorr R&D, we would go beyond comms to develop an actual solution. The first food product dedicated to supertasters would position Knorr as a pioneer of inclusive nutrition – and provide an earned media story that could be shared via live events, social media and news. As the issue affects gene carriers throughout life, the story would resonate with the widest possible audience – but we would give media focus to young parents who particularly relate to the tensions caused by “fussy eating”.

We (submitting agency) had the Supercube idea in 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”, the 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 European retail rollout in Q1, 2026.

The campaign reached over 144 million – 80% of which has been entirely earned, without media spend.
Pre-launch saw an explosion of requests for over 30,000 gene tests in just one week which we sent out across Sweden. (At this point, our global science’s supplies partner ran out of “PROP” compound.)
At launch, the story was covered by Sweden‘s top news outlets including TV4 Nyhetsmorgon, P4 Extra, Göteborgs-Posten, as well as various food, lifestyle and health titles. Despite the local focus of the campaign, the news went beyond Sweden with coverage in the UK’s Daily Mail and more.
The campaign proved demand: according to our survey of 500 Swedish consumers, 70% intend to buy the Supercube. It also proved the value of earned media. Those who had already seen the campaign via earned channels were 80% more likely to buy the Supercube than those who hadn’t. The Supercube achieved the aimed brand perception shift too: 80% perceive Knorr as inclusive. 85% now view Knorr as more innovative than before. And 85% say Knorr makes it easier to eat healthier.
Knorr aims to bring the Supercube to 5 European markets in Q1, 2026 and believes this to be the first commercial product developed specifically for supertasters. At 25% of the population, this audience represents a huge untapped market and a significant commercial opportunity for Knorr and the wider food industry.