Heinz celebrates ‘irrational love’ for brand in first global campaign

Heinz has unveiled a global platform celebrating the “irrational love” people have for the brand, inspired by true events.

This marks the first time in the brand’s 150-year history that Heinz has been unified under one creative strategy.

Created by Wieden & Kennedy, “It has to be Heinz” is based on fan stories about the brand, sourced from social media, news articles and through word of mouth.

Five vignette-style spots explore some of the bizarre, and sometimes socially unacceptable, ways people express their commitment to Heinz.

A 30-second spot shows a montage of events where Heinz plays a key role, from squirting some ketchup on a steak in a fancy restaurant to getting a Heinz tattoo.

Other spots explore stories such as bringing a bottle of sauce to a sushi restaurant and the urge to break up with a partner because they don’t have Heinz in their fridge.

“As we looked to unify the brand under one global brand platform, we dove into the world of our consumers and found that they all shared one thing: the irrational lengths they go to for Heinz products,” Diana Frost, chief growth officer, North American Zone at The Kraft Heinz Company, said.

“As a brand obsessed with our consumers, we created ‘It has to be Heinz’ as our love song back to them, our fans are our muses.”

In what Kraft Heinz claims is its largest media investment to date, the campaign will run across TV, online video, cinema, social and out-of-home.

“It has to be Heinz” will debut in the UK, US and Canada, and be rolled out to additional markets over the next six months.

Cristina Kenz, chief growth officer, International Zone at The Kraft Heinz Company, added: “Our fans may go to irrational lengths for Heinz products, but the feeling is mutual – we’re just as obsessed with our products as they are and can’t wait to share it with the world.

“This irrational love is also driving a larger transformation at Kraft Heinz, where we’re moving at the speed of culture to surprise and delight our consumers with insight-led innovations and authentic brand experiences.”