Years of advertising its functional attributes meant Philadelphia cream cheese was becoming less distinctive in a highly commoditised category and losing share to lower-priced supermarket own brands. This case describes how, by applying behavioural science, Philadelphia positioned itself around friendship at a time when the bonds of friendship were increasingly strained. Investing in an emotional communications strategy helped Philadelphia outperform supermarket own brands and reversed its declining market share. The brand ended 2023 back in positive growth, with communications returning an estimated £2.06 profit for every £1 invested.