Oprah Winfrey and Kraft Heinz Partner to Launch Frozen Pizza Line

An iconic Italian dish is getting an iconic celebrity ambassador. On Wednesday, Oprah Winfrey, in partnership with Kraft Heinz, launched a new line of premium frozen pizzas with blended cauliflower crusts. This is the third product line launched under Oprah’s O, That’s Good! Brand, which is part of Mealtime Stories, a joint venture between Oprah and Kraft Heinz.

According to a company release, one-third of O, That’s Good! pizza crusts are made with cauliflower, which aligns with the brand’s mission to create comfort foods with a healthy twist. The frozen pizza line comes in four varieties: pepperoni, five cheese, supreme and fire roasted vegetable.

“Pizza is a favorite – fun and easy food to share with family and friends,” said Winfrey. “I am always looking to add a nutritious twist to my foods, so we made part of the crust in my new pizza with cauliflower while maintaining that classic, cheesy pizza flavor you and your family love.”

This launch comes after the joint venture introduced a line of refrigerated soups and side dishes in 2017. The company has also expanded this original line with four new products under their soups and sides category: chicken with white and wild rice soup, roasted corn chowder, sour cream & chive mashed potatoes and broccoli cheddar rice.

Mealtime Stories is planning to launch a robust 360-degree marketing campaign which will involve a national TV commercial featuring Oprah Winfrey. According to the company, ten percent of Mealtime Stories’ profits will be equally split between non-profits Rise Against Hunger and Feeding America. The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation plans to make annual donations to both charities on behalf of Mealtime Stories until the joint venture produces profits.

This new product launch seems to incorporate things that modern consumers would want. The cauliflower crust trend is explosive with many major food companies, such as Trader Joe’s and Pizza Pizza, introducing their own line of cauliflower crust pizzas. Additionally, Mealtime Stories’ charity endeavors will likely attract the many socially conscious consumers in the market.

With Oprah Winfrey, one of the biggest influencers in the world, as the brand ambassador/part-owner of this line, her name alone will likely pull in profits. The iconic ex-talk show host is known to have a lot of power in marketing products. In fact, the media mogul is known to produce a marketing effect that many call the “Oprah Effect,” which refers to her power to influence consumers to purchase products that she endorses.

So, it seems that Mealtime Stories has a strong chance of finding success in the current consumer market.

“At Kraft Heinz, we understand that the trifecta of great taste, real ingredients and convenience in food options is nearly impossible to find,” said Christopher Urban, Head of Mealtime Stories at Kraft Heinz. “After the success of O, That’s Good! Refrigerated Soups and Sides, we wanted to bring excitement to the pizza category and give families even more delicious options to please everyone at the dinner table.”