The original Black Panther was such an experience for A Dozen Cousins’ founder, Ibraheem Basir, that he left the theater telling himself that if he ever had an opportunity to work with Black Panther, it would be a dream come true. As a minority-founded brand that focuses on culture and authentic flavors, A Dozen Cousins instantly felt a connection to the film. For Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, A Dozen Cousins set out to create a product line that highlights Jolloff (a classic West African Dish) as well as two Caribbean dishes that have been shaped and influenced by people of African descent who made this region home. A Dozen Cousins offers a line of ready-to-eat products inspired by traditional Creole, Caribbean and Latin American recipes, so the brand created a limited-edition line to celebrate the groundbreaking film and honor the impact of the African Diaspora on our favorite foods.
On October 4, 2022, A Dozen Cousins released its new product line inspired by Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which premiered on November 11, 2022. The product line, “Flavors of Wakanda”, featured fan-favorite Jerk Chicken and Coconut Rice Seasoning Sauces while including a limited-edition, Jollof Rice Seasoning. The packaging features characters from the film and includes a limited edition “vibranium” spoon, which is inspired by the rare and powerful metal native to the fictional nation of Wakanda.
In creating the Wakanda-inspired seasoning sauces, our founder and CEO set his sights on the most beloved rice dishes and entrees across the African diaspora to produce the co-branded Jollof Rice, Jerk Chicken and Coconut Rice sauces. Jollof was a pretty easy first choice because of how iconic it is within West African cuisine, and likewise, it is hard to talk about Caribbean food without thinking of Jerk chicken. Lastly, coconut rice was a great dish to round out the collection because it serves as something of a bridge between these two regions.
Creating this set included many trials in the formulation of our limited-edition Jollof rice seasoning sauce. We wanted to ensure an authentic flavor experience for the consumer, and this meant honing in on the heat and spice level. This was our first time formulating a product with fresh Habanero peppers so some of our early trial runs were very spicy. It took small recipe adjustments and many taste tests but we ultimately were able to deliver the Wakandan experience for our consumers!
This collaboration enabled A Dozen Cousins to create engaging content, spread awareness on history-rich dishes that are unique to our regions, and ultimately bring a unique opportunity to taste the flavors of Wakanda.
Our paid influencer campaign generated 253K+ impressions, a 3M+ potential reach and maintained a strong 2.73% engagement rate. The collaboration also opened the doors to involvement in Disney’s publicity efforts, where A Dozen Cousins participated in panels, speaking events and more. On the media and public relations front, the Flavors of Wakanda collaboration led to secured placements in outlets such as Ebony, Mashed, NOSH, The Root, Parade, and more, amassing to over 50.2MM+ impressions thus far. This collaboration has also led to media and speaking opportunities for A Dozen Cousins’ founder, Ibraheem Basir, to speak on the Flavors of Wakanda in outlets such as Ebony and OkayAfrica.
