• by Erik Oster , March 28, 2024

At Louis’ Lunch, in New Haven Connecticut, designated by the Library of Congress as the Birthplace of the Hamburger Sandwich itself (although the claim is, at best, unsubstantiated) “no ketchup” is a cardinal rule. Prominently placed signs near the register make the policy abundantly clear, and patrons who have attempted to bring their own bottle into the restaurant have been known to be unceremoniously tossed out of the establishment.

The historic hamburger hangout is just one of the places targeted as part of a “Smack For Heinz” campaign running across film, OOH, digital and social media elements on Instagram and TikTok. The brand installed “smackable billboards” that dispense ketchup packets outside restaurants known for their rules against the condiment.

A launch ad for the confrontational campaign shows a passer-by outside Louis’ Lunch smacking a bottle of Heinz connected to a billboard and retrieving packets of the forbidden condiment. It appears the restaurant may have been closed during filming -- nd the billboards appearing in the initial launch video weren’t around for  long.  According to the New Haven Register, the billboard briefly appeared outside the restaurant on March 7, but was quickly removed.

The ad also features a number of Chicago hot dog restaurants, and Heinz plans to run more OOH ads across Chicago, a famously ketchup-averse city. From April 2-April 9, Heinz will install ketchup-dispensing billboards across the city, including at The Wieners Circle and Navy Pier.

Heinz is also calling on consumers to snitch on establishments with similar policies. Fans can visit the smackforheinz.com. website to report local restaurants which refuse to serve the condiment.