Philadelphia, the UK’s bestselling cream cheese brand, has launched a retail-first integrated campaign in partnership with the UK’s number one bagel brand New York Bakery. The Philly Deli, launched through Ogilvy UK, has its sights set on putting Philadelphia at the heart of New York Deli culture and cementing its position as a staple ingredient for any brunchtime bagel.

The partnership between the two iconic brands spotlights the delicious bagel recipes suited to every craving and diet. Select recipes, including the salmon and cream cheese classic, are featured in a nationwide OOH rollout that spans major supermarkets and brings deli culture to the UK’s stores. The work will be amplified with a social push across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, with Philadelphia teaming up with ‘foodie’ influencers sharing bagel recipes tailored to their content and audiences.

Professional chef Kit Paterson, who has amassed over one million likes on TikTok, showcases protein-packed bagels ‘The Lean One’ and ‘The XL Brunch One’. Serena Patel, who creates easy and viral recipes that can be shared with friends, is posting about The Pizza One and The Rainbow One to celebrate a summer of festivals. Other recipes include The Italian Picnic One and The Mediterranean One to inspire audiences to get creative with their brunches. The namesakes are designed to personify the bagels and make them feel as familiar as friends, elevating Philadelphia’s You’ve Got a Friend in Philly platform.

The campaign marks a new chapter as Philadelphia looks to become an intrinsic part of online food trends and culture. Each creator has also been briefed to make bold and mouthwatering brunch bagels in their own authentic styles.

Philadelphia is also giving consumers a chance to win a trip to New York for an authentic deli experience. The limited-edition competition packaging was designed by Elvis Communications, the in-store comms was handled by retail specialist agency Marks and the partnership was brokered by Publicis Media.

Bansi Mehta, junior brand manager at Mondelez UK said, “We’ve had this idea in the works for a while and are so excited to see it come to life. It’s a brilliant way to show Philadelphia as the ultimate friend in everyone’s fridge for any occasion. I also couldn’t think of a more natural partnership than with New York Bakery – a match made in bagel heaven!”

Hayley Sosnovik, brand consultant at New York Bakery said, “Brunch and bagels go hand-in-hand, so partnering with Philadelphia is a natural fit. New York Bakery prides itself on offering customers authentic bagels that are boiled and stone baked for great taste and texture – chewy on the outside and soft in the middle. Together, we’re bringing a taste of New York deli culture to UK brunch tables, inspiring bold flavours in fun, fresh ways. This campaign celebrates the versatility and convenience of creating bagels that elevate the brunch occasion.”

​Sam Cartmell, deputy ECD, Ogilvy UK said, “In one of our biggest campaigns for Philadelphia so far, we’re building on our You’ve Got a Friend in Philly platform by bringing two iconic brands together like old friends. We’ve also put supermarkets at the heart of the rollout so we can inspire consumers to think about what they really want for brunch – and ensure Philadelphia and New York Bakery are front of mind when they do. Brunch is trending, bagels are trending and consumers of all ages are turning to social media creators for food inspiration. We’ve partnered with influencers to create fun, shareable bagel ideas that showcase Philly as the ultimate brunch friend across multiple channels.”

Dining and Cooking