Kraft Mac & Cheese
Kraft Mac & Cheese[1] is a macaroni and cheese product line produced by The Kraft Heinz Company consisting of dry macaroni and powdered cheese. Several Super Mario-branded products have been produced as part of the line.
Super Mario products[edit]
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First product[edit]
The first product, which was released around 1990, was centered around Super Mario Bros., and its box labeled its contents as pasta and cheese. It featured Mario, Magic Mushroom, Starman, Piranha Plant (albeit mispelled as as "Pirana Plant" on the box), Bowser, and Princess Toadstool-shaped macaroni.
The back of each box featured a collectible cut-out card featuring gameplay advice. These cards were branded as numbered "power tips", and 20 of these cards were specified to exist in total.
Front cover of the box
Back cover of the box
Super Mario Bros. Macaroni & Cheese Dinner[edit]
- "Binky" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Blinky.
A second product titled Super Mario Bros. Macaroni & Cheese Dinner was released around 1993 and 1994. Despite its name, it involved the greater Super Mario series, most particularly Super Mario World. The product's front box had artwork of Cape Mario, a form that originated in Super Mario World. It retained the six shapes from the first product while correcting the "Pirana Plant" mispelling and adding a seventh shape, Yoshi.
The "power tip" cards from the first product returned, with the entire back of the box now being dedicated to a tip. Power Tip #2 demonstrated how to unlock Secret Course 2 in the Space Zone in Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins and was illustrated by drawings based on images of the game.
A commercial produced by Curious Pictures features various Super Mario characters and the product line's mascot, Cheesasaurus Rex. It also features a song with lyrics matching the Super Mario theme.
A behind the scenes video for the commerical that was uploaded to YouTube in 2018 presents a reel of different visual effects layers and variations that when combined form the final commercial, including stop motion props, animated characters (with Cheesasaurus Rex instead being referred to as "Binky"), sound effects without music or voices, and live action footage in various stages of editing. The footage is bookended by the finished advertisement as aired on television.[2]
Front cover of the box
Power Tip #2, as seen on the back of a Super Mario Bros. Macaroni & Cheese box
Advertisement
A 30-cent discount coupon
Mario's appearance in the commercial
Yoshi's appearance in the commercial
Bowser's appearance in the commercial
A matte used for the scene of Mario and Yoshi
Practical bubbles that were superimposed onto Mario's mouth while traversing the sea-oni
A size reference for Cheesasaurus Rex relative to the box
A blank box that an animated Mario was superimposed onto to create the real box as sold
KRAFT Mac & Cheese Super Mario Power-Up Shapes[edit]
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Announced in 2024, KRAFT Mac & Cheese Super Mario Power-Up Shapes features Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Super Star-shaped macaroni. It is available in both a traditional box and a pack of 4 microwavable cups.[3][4][5]
On October 1, 2024, The Kraft Heinz Company launched The KMC Super Mario Power Up Pursuit, a Super Mario-themed sweepstakes for the product line, in the United States. Participants could enter by scanning a QR code on product packaging or by visiting the sweepstakes' website.[6] Three types of prizes were available:
- the Grand Prize for one winner, a three-day trip for four people to Universal Studios Hollywood (the location of Super Nintendo World);[7]
- the First Prize for two winners, eleven $50 gift cards for the Nintendo eShop providing a total value of $550; and
- the Second Prize for 100 winners, a box of KRAFT Mac & Cheese Super Mario Power-Up Shapes.
The sweepstakes ended on December 31, 2024, and its winners were decided on January 2, 2025.
Promotional image for the products
Promotional image for the sweepstakes
References[edit]
- ^ Kraft Mac & Cheese - About Us. The Kraft Heinz Company. Retrieved June 23, 2026. (Archived May 5, 2026, 04:50:13 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ Slugontharug (July 7, 2018). Super Mario Bros Kraft Diner Commercial(1994). YouTube. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ^ July 17, 2024. “Let’s-a-go!” KRAFT Mac & Cheese and Nintendo Fuel Fans with New Super Mario™ Power-Up Shapes. The Kraft Heinz Company. Retrieved December 2, 2024. (Archived July 22, 2024, 00:11:26 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ Mac & Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Dinner with Super Mario Power-Up Pasta Shapes. The Kraft Heinz Company. Retrieved June 23, 2026. (Archived February 9, 2025, 20:50:45 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ Mac & Cheese Microwavable Dinner with Super Mario Power-Up Pasta Shapes. The Kraft Heinz Company. Retrieved June 23, 2026. (Archived February 9, 2025, 20:56:47 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ October 1, 2024. Nintendo Power Up Pursuit - Rules. The Kraft Heinz Company. Archived December 2, 2024, 16:14:54 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- ^ October 1, 2024. Nintendo - Power Up Pursuit. The Kraft Heinz Company. Archived November 15, 2024, 19:36:52 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
