2023 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Despite being a household name for 150 years, Heinz Ketchup had been struggling to connect with Gen-Z and was at risk of losing its relevance. To reignite love with younger generations, our objective was to find a way to reinforce the iconic status of Heinz Ketchup in a culturally relevant way.

Through social listening, we discovered that thrifting was a passion point for younger generations, with many opting for pre-owned clothing with wear and tear, and even stains. Heinz has been inadvertently staining clothes for decades, so we decided to reframe the stain as a way to celebrate thrifting culture
and sustainability.

Introducing Heinz Vintage Drip, a collection of luxe and streetwear brands with unique Heinz Ketchup stains. The collection was created in partnership with thredUP, one of the world’s largest resale platforms and a pioneer in fashion sustainability. Fashion and streetwear influencers like Antoni Bumba, Nazjaa, Sym Clarke, Izzi Poopi, and Mirian Njoh were enlisted to help bring the collection to life and reimagine the Heinz ketchup stain as a statement.

To launch the campaign, we employed a comprehensive strategic PR approach that led with fashion and lifestyle images showcasing the collection in a modern way. Our press release and launch video announced the Heinz Vintage Drip and invited people to shop the line on thredup.com/heinz. All proceeds went to Rise Against Hunger to support global hunger relief.

The campaign was an immense success, garnering over 1.8 billion earned impressions - more than 400% above benchmarks. Our influencer campaign was 583% above benchmarks, driving over 135k visits to the thredUp Heinz landing page. Vintage Drip was even featured on the Drew Barrymore Show, praised by singer SZA, and covered by CBS, Unilad, and The Daily Mail. By turning ketchup drips into a brand icon, we proved that when it’s Heinz, it's not a stain - it's a statement.

Credits

Chief Creative OfficerCO: Aaron Starkman, Mike Dubrick
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Creative Director: Zachary Bautista
Associate Creative Director : Geoff Baillie
Writer : Geoff Baillie, Aman Soin, Brendan Scullion
Sr. Art Director : Matt Dunn
Art Director : Zachary Bautista, Ashley Park, Max Bingham
Strategist: Julian Morgan
Producer: Alex Butt
Post Supervisor: Megan O’Connon, Shannon Ing
Print Producer: Agnes Gilchrist, AJ Merrick
Studio: Brad Kumar
Group Account Director: Jamie Sutherland
Account Director: Kai de Bruyn Kops, David Greisman
Account Supervisor: Emily Anzarouth
Account Manager: Rachel Cloth
Director / Photographer: Nikki Ormerod
Cinematographer: Nina Djacic
Production: Undivided Creative
EP/Line Producer: Scott Houghton
Additional Photography: Nick Greaves
Editor: Tyler Erdelac
Online / VFX / Motion Graphics: Gimmick Studios
Colorist: Ismaël Ouattara, Post-Moderne
Original Music / Mix: OSO Audio
PR: Middle Child, Zeno Group
Media: Carat, Publicis 57
Printing House: TI Group

Client: Megan Lang