Fans of singing legend Donny Osmond are shocked by his mash-up with rap superstar Lil Yachty as the twosome croon the praises of Chef Boyardee in a new series of ads for the pasta product.
The twosome paired up for a cheesy, yet curiously catchy, song for the canned pasta brand as Chef Boyardee celebrates its 90th anniversary this year.
Conagra Brands, who markets the product, came up with the genius idea of matching up the rapper and the former teen superstar to sing a jingle that will be an earworm to online viewers. Capitol Records matched up the duo to sing together for the brand. Both Osmond and Yachty are artists on the label, according to AdAge .
AdAge reported that the mashup of the two would create a buzz for the longtime food product, who recently introduced a throwback recipe.
“To a younger generation, they have no idea what the brand is, what it means or anything. They’ve lost probably two generations of relevance,” says Jason Peterson, chief creative officer, Havas. “We need to create something that creates hype and frenzy.”
Yachty and Osmond’s commercial/music video includes moments showing the pair in a kitchen, driving around, and sitting atop a 6-foot-tall can of Chef Boyardee.
https://youtu.be/a-wfMn3r344
The song is set to debut on both Pandora and Spotify following the ad’s launch.
Osmond kicks in with vocals such as “older, younger and in between, you see that we all agree, we love tomatoes, more beef, and cheese, thank goodness for Chef Boyardee.”
Brothers Ettore “Hector,” Mario, and Paul Boiardi started Chef Boyardee in 1928, spelling their Italian name phonetically for the brand to make it easier for Americans to pronounce, according to Adage.
The throwback recipe includes ingredients such as beef, Romano cheese, olive oil and a richer, thicker tomato sauce than the one in the brand’s mainstream recipes. They also cost about 50 cents more than regular Chef Boyardee cans, according to AdAge .
Chef Boyardee is the latest brand to embrace the surge in nostalgia products. Brands such as Pepsi have reintroduced their “Throwback” drink, and Coca-Cola’s “Surge” has been reintroduced.
Besides singing the track, both Lil Yachty and Donny co-wrote and co-produced the single. Some of the more notable lyrics include the following verses.
“My name is Donny-O, And you know I love my ravios. I’m gonna let ya know, Sauce it up, sauce it up, here we go. Give me more cheese life is a breeze, When me and Yachty party we call on Chef Boyardee.”
Osmond continues to tour and star in his Vegas show at the Flamingo Hotel alongside sister Marie Osmond.
Yachty’s upcoming EP is expected to drop August 23.
