- Heinz is unifying its global creative strategy under one brand platform for the first time in its over 150-year history, supported by parent Kraft Heinz’s largest paid media investment thus far, in response to a news release.
- “It Has to be Heinz” honors what the corporate describes as an “irrational love” fans express for its ketchup and beans products. Real and potentially apocryphal stories of Heinz-induced mania, including brand-themed tattoos and airport security escapades, were drawn from social media, news articles and word of mouth.
- Made with agency Wieden + Kennedy, the hassle debuts with five vignette-style commercials. Ads will likely be deployed across TV, online video, cinema, social and out-of-home placements.
From the enduring “Beanz Meanz Heinz” to a 2021 effort that asked consumers to attract ketchup bottles from memory, Heinz’s marketing has often aimed to position its products as archetypes serving as shorthand for his or her respective categories. For its first unified global creative platform, the legacy marketer is popping the highlight on fans who’ve developed such a robust preference for its offerings that they are going to go to “irrational” lengths to precise their love.
Stories highlighted in “It Has to be Heinz” range from fairly pedestrian, akin to keeping Heinz condiment packets in purses or sock linings, to more daring, like smuggling tins of Heinz Beanz through airport security or swiping some ketchup bottles from a hotel serving tray. A 60-second anthem spot opens with the text, “The Following is Based on True Events,” summoning to mind openings of ripped-from-the-headlines movies and TV. The cinematic style is reinforced as a wide range of vignettes are captured in a grainy, retro film style.
While Heinz in press materials winkingly acknowledged that a few of the tales recreated could also be inflated, the goal is to have a good time real individuals who decide to recurrently shop with the brand. “It Has to be Heinz” will initially roll out across the U.S., U.K., Canada and Germany before expanding to additional markets in the second half of 2023.
The platform is the results of a “larger transformation” in the corporate’s approach, one which leans on insights-led strategy and authentic brand experiences, Cristina Kenz, chief growth officer of the international zone at Kraft Heinz, said in an announcement. The objective is to maneuver “on the speed of culture,” per Kenz, a refrain that has turn into common amongst marketers which can be under pressure to maintain pace with faster-moving consumer trends driven by channels like social media.
Kraft Heinz has previously fallen victim to shifting consumer tastes, writing down the worth of its Kraft and Oscar Mayer by $15.4 billion in 2019. The firm topped Wall Street’s estimates on earnings in the first quarter of 2023, with net sales up 7.3% year-over-year.
The timing of the Heinz platform’s launch comes as many consumers return to pre-COVID habits after the stop-start early years of the pandemic. Heinz shouldn’t be alone in encouraging a way of indulgence and unbridled brand appreciation at this point of transition. Pepsi is centering its first rebranding in 14 years across the theme of “unapologetic enjoyment,” with a refreshed visual scheme that ditches minimalism in favor of brighter, busier designs.
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