An ad that sells the product? Nah. How about an ad that doesn’t. The cream cheese shortage is real. So for the first time in 150 years, Philadelphia told the world not to buy cream cheese to make a holiday cheesecake. Instead, we offered to personally pay for cookies, brownies, cupcakes, pies, or any other dessert that would bring our fans some joy at the end of their holiday meals. Because if we can’t spread Philly, the least we can do is spread the feeling.

“As we continue to see elevated and sustained demand, we want to ensure that there’s enough cream cheese for bagels, cheesecakes, and everything in between. We’re excited to share that we’re investing millions of dollars so Philadelphia Cream Cheese will be available to anyone that wants it, wherever they like to shop, for the next 150 years and beyond.”– Basak Oguz, Director of Marketing at Philadelphia Cream Cheese

“A brand telling customers to buy anything but its product is about as gutsy as it gets. But when the cream cheese shortage threatened to rob families around the country of their holiday desserts, it was the least we could do.” – Jeff Schermer, Creative Director