From Scarcity to Spotlight: How CRUMBS Went Viral and Hit Food Network

Introduction

CRUMBS Bakeshop is no stranger to the spotlight. Once a national cupcake sensation with 50 stores and over a million cupcakes sold monthly, they disappeared from shelves—until now. With the re-launch of their Colossal Cupcake in Kroger Family Stores across 22 states, CRUMBS aimed to reclaim their throne. The question was: how do you turn a supermarket dessert into a viral, sell-out moment?

The Opportunity

CRUMBS wasn’t just launching a new product—they were staging a comeback. The Colossal Cupcake, a four-pound dessert that feeds up to 20 people, was made for attention. But CRUMBS didn’t want to rely on nostalgia alone. They needed modern momentum: creator-driven storytelling, urgency, and real-world buzz to drive customers into Kroger stores and empty out the bakery cases.

The Strategy

Relish designed a creator campaign focused on one key principle: scarcity sells. Influencers were encouraged to hunt down the Colossal Cupcake in their local stores and share the journey online—from the search to the snack. The more difficult it was to find, the more demand exploded.

Key tactics included:

• Encouraging creators to document the real, unscripted hunt for the Colossal Cupcake
• Tapping into TikTok’s love of massive, visually jaw-dropping desserts
• Highlighting the cupcake’s party-sized value at just $24.99
• Prioritizing authentic storytelling over scripted promotions

The hype built organically—culminating in a major feature in Food Network, highlighting both the cupcake and the viral movement behind it.

The Results

• 52 creator posts
• 356,789 total views
• 42,573 total engagements
• 11.93% engagement rate
• Featured by Food Network after going viral
• Colossal Cupcake sold out in multiple Kroger Family Stores
• Creators began reporting difficulty locating the product due to demand

Why It Matters

The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing—it feels like discovery. This campaign harnessed real scarcity and creator authenticity to spark action, not just awareness.

CRUMBS didn’t just come back.

They went viral, sold out, and landed in Food Network.

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