The Honey Baked Ham store situated in the bustling Philadelphia suburb of Broomall—nestled in a standard suburban strip mall directly alongside a Wawa convenience store, a local dry cleaner, and a nail salon—might not immediately catch the eye of a passing motorist. Externally, it presents as a typical neighborhood storefront, unassuming and modest in its architectural footprint, blending seamlessly into the everyday commercial landscape of Delaware County.
Nevertheless, this particular, humble retail location holds a massive and sentimental place in the corporate strategy behind Honey Baked Ham’s brand-new holiday advertising campaign. The reason for its sudden prominence within the national brand’s marketing initiatives is deeply personal: it is the exact store where Kylie Kelce, then Kylie McDevitt, traveled as a young girl alongside her grandmother, affectionately known as Mimi, to purchase the family’s holiday hams.
Including both the physical Broomall storefront and the genuine family history behind it in Honey Baked Ham’s major holiday campaign, which officially debuts today, October 19, was entirely Kelce’s idea. When the concept was brought to the corporate table, Chief Commercial Officer Maegan Markee and the brand’s marketing executives were more than happy to embrace the authentic narrative, recognizing the power of real emotional connection in consumer advertising.
The campaign leverages Kelce’s rising public profile and her deep-rooted regional ties to the Philadelphia area. Kelce, who has captured public affection for her down-to-earth persona, her philanthropic work, and her sports-adjacent prominence as the wife of retired NFL star Jason Kelce, has increasingly stepped into the brand partnership space on her own terms. Her ability to authentically connect with audiences by shedding standard celebrity stereotypes has made her a sought-after voice for major brands looking to establish genuine resonance with everyday consumers.
For Honey Baked Ham, integrating a real piece of Kelce’s childhood into the commercial creative offers a refreshing departure from traditional holiday food marketing, which often relies heavily on hyper-stylized tableaus and distant, professional actors. Instead, the brand is leaning into nostalgic authenticity, centering the campaign around the very real traditions that shaped one of Philadelphia’s most visible public figures. The choice of the Broomall location grounds the corporate campaign in a familiar, tangible setting that local residents and loyal customers can instantly recognize and relate to.
As the campaign rolls out across media channels today, the unassuming strip mall storefront in Broomall finds itself thrust into the spotlight, transforming from a quiet neighborhood stop into a cornerstone of a major national holiday marketing push. By anchoring the campaign in a cherished memory shared between a grandmother and her granddaughter, Honey Baked Ham and Kylie Kelce have crafted a holiday narrative built on genuine tradition rather than manufactured festive cheer, setting a warm and personal tone for the upcoming holiday season.
