Why Cheez-It is using TikTok's magic trend for National Cheese Day

In celebration of National Cheese Day on Saturday, Cheez-It has partnered with magician and Netflix star Justin Willman to promote one of its newer varieties on TikTok. 

The Kellogg brand is hoping to capitalize on the growing interest in magic-related trends on the social platform, where the hashtag "magic" has continued to attract viewers since spiking in April 2020 with 600 million mentions, according to TikTok data. 

"With at-home magic tricks resurging in popularity on social media channels, our partnership with Justin takes the absurdly uplifting snacking experience of Cheez-It Puff'd and provides families with a magical snacktime activity,” Erin Storm, senior marketing director of Cheez-It, said in a press release. 

The snack brand introduced the Cheez-It Puff'd in January, with flavors including double cheese, white cheddar, and scorchin’ hot cheddar.

In the first TikTok released Thursday, Willman, the host of "Magic for Humans" on Netflix, makes the Cheez-It Puff-d float and fly away in a video called “Cheez-It Puff'd Side Down." The camera pans out at times to show viewers how Willman is performing the tricks. 

"Nothing beats blowing fans' minds with clever—yet shockingly simple—illusions, especially when it's a trick that anyone can perform, regardless of their magic experience," Willman, who has 1.3 million TikTok followers, said in a press release. "I've always been a Cheez-It fan, and now I'm a Cheez-It Puff'd fanatic. So, creating magic with one of my favorite snacks that encourages families to come together and recreate an illusion has been a magical experience."

A second TikTok, titled, “Vanishing Cheez-It Puff'd" will be shared on the platform on June 6. 

The partnership with Willman represents the latest marketing push from the brand. Last month, it teamed with musical platform Pandora to launch a limited-edition collection of crackers made from cheese that was aged using hip-hop songs.