Brand Manager says “Americans are really looking for real and authentic food options.”

Kraft is stepping up the marketing behind its Athenos hummus brand with the launch of a restaurant sampling tour and a “true or false” online game.

The sampling tour, which is part of the brand’s ongoing “100 percent olive oil” campaign, kicks off at Cellar 56 restaurant in Atlanta on February 25, followed by similar events in Denver and Chicago early next month. Participating restaurants in the three cities will serve up bite-size treats with Athenos hummus in hopes of giving diners their own at-home entertaining ideas, Kraft said.

The goal is to strengthen Athenos’ positioning as the “only leading hummus brand made with 100 percent olive oil,” Hyzdu said. In its research, Kraft found that the notion of “100 percent olive oil” and real ingredients really resonated with consumers. “The reason is because Americans are really looking for real and authentic food options,” said brand manager Marshall Hyzdu.