• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, September 13, 2024

 
Heinz, which launched the 150-year-old brand’s first global platform last year, is introducing a new campaign, building on the “Inspired By” format. Working with Wieden + Kennedy New York, the latest ads come from true consumer tales, and feature people posing as Heinz heirs and a high-school ketchup smuggling ring.

Since the initial launch in four markets, it will be in 24 additional markets by the end of the year. The campaign has already driven a 12% global net sales increase and a 22% uptick in away-from-home sales.

While Heinz says it is great that the “inspired by true stories” campaign has resonated so well with audiences, it also puts pressure on the brand to keep the hits coming.

“We decided to dive deeper into the platform,” says Jacqueline Chao, senior brand manager of Heinz Global. “The heiress spot came from a woman who shared how she was served non-Heinz ketchup, which was unacceptable, so she pretended to be a Heinz heiress. We thought it was hilarious and knew we had to bring it to life.”

The high school smuggling ring resulted from one school’s draconian “one packet per student” policy.

“As we develop new creative, we’re always asking ourselves how true the insight is and how relatable it will be,” Chao tells CPG Insider. “And we always put our Heinz twist on it, to make something familiar a little bit unfamiliar, and find an unexpected lens.”

She says the campaign, which is aimed at flavor enthusiasts who love to eat out, explore new flavors and try different types of cuisine, also includes a “Made With” component.

Those ads take a documentary approach, highlighting the obsession the company’s employees have with their tomatoes. Spots take viewers behind the scenes to focus on the condiment’s quality, interviewing Heinz ketchup nerds, farmers and squeeze-bottle testers. The tagline? “Maybe you love ketchup so much because we love ketchup so much.”

Both series of ads are now running in the U.S. and Canada and on paid social channels, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snap, and other search channels.

Besides keeping the sales gains going and tracking the usual metrics on social, Heinz is closely watching brand lift studies, and how the ads have been landing in each media. “The new work has been performing quite well,” she says, “so we will extend it into TV for the rest of the year.”