Kraft's Mac Friday Box is a Black Friday Hit

Sometimes you can have a gimmicky product that’s a legitimately good deal. Kraft just released a “Mac Friday” box, containing 65 boxes of classic KD for under $20. Shoppers that managed to cart it were able to load up on all the macaroni and plastic cheese they needed at a competitive price. Better yet, we’ve seen a few sales for quite a bit over Kraft’s modest MSRP.

While we’re far from the heyday of Black Friday, there are still plenty of shoppers that got up early and broke down retailers’ doors for their shot at a great deal. Electronics, and especially TVs, have historically been one of the most popular items, and Kraft put a fun spin on that last night.

The Kraft Mac Friday box was a massive package of 65 Kraft Macaroni boxes designed to look like a 4K TV. Billed with “4,000 perfectly calibrated noodles” and “endlessly customizable Smart Mactelligence”, the box retailed online for just $19.37.

If you hate math, just know that this penciled out to about $0.30 per box of mac and cheese, well below Kraft’s usual MSRP. This made it a pretty great deal for anyone quick enough to snag one, and the drop generated plenty of viral attention.

Multiple people noted the seller wasn’t actually Walmart, suggesting extremely limited inventory. The product page now returns a broken link. One commenter nailed it: “I think there were more news stories about this item in advance of the sale than product available.”

This was a marketing stunt that happened to be a real product. Kraft generated massive buzz for their campaign while offering an actual deal to whoever managed to check out. The TV-shaped packaging worked perfectly for social media, whether anyone actually got one or not.

At least two sellers have managed to turn a profit on this drop. One Kraft Mac Friday Box just flipped for $200, while another already sold for $130. It’s unclear how many of these were made, but at least someone is making some money.

The packaging is the only unique element. The mac and cheese inside is identical to store shelves. Unlike limited sneakers or collectibles, there’s no scarcity of the actual product, just the TV-shaped box. That limits appeal to people who specifically want the packaging.

But reselling doesn’t always have to be the goal. This was a legitimately great deal, and the novelty factor behind it could (but probably won’t) drive sales.