In a world of chaos and speed, Heinz is challenging consumers to slow down and enjoy the ordinary moments in life.
With their new ‘Hold for Heinz’ campaign, the brand is taking their reputation for being the slowest-pouring ketchup to a whole new level. The condiments giant is encouraging brave consumers to wait 57 minutes for Heinz.com to load, in order to be entered to win a Heinz Burger Kit, which includes ketchup, mustard, relish, and custom Heinz grilling gear.
“Whether you are lighting up the grill or cooking inside, we know that there are few things more magical than family burger night and the opportunity to connect with loved ones,” said Shelly Hayden, Brand Manager for Heinz Ketchup. “These special moments are worth waiting for. That happens to work nicely with the fact that Heinz has a reputation as the slowest-pouring ketchup. We saw an opportunity to make the world’s slowest-loading website to give consumers the chance to win a Heinz Burger Kit, which really helps unlock that magic of family meal time.”
The campaign is aimed at families, in an effort to make all the time they spend at home together feel more meaningful. “As a brand, Heinz touches the lives of many different groups, but right now, we have the best opportunity to make a difference in the lives of families,” Hayden told Brand Innovators. “There are a lot of opportunities for Heinz to help families come together and unlock the magic of everyday moments. Burger night is no exception.”
In past promotional campaigns, Heinz also highlighted the importance of families connecting and slowing down to enjoy the magic of normal moments. Last year, the brand released a frustrating, yet amusing 570-piece jigsaw puzzle in which all the pieces were red. During Halloween 2020, Heinz encouraged families to make Tik Tok videos using Heinz Ketchup as blood for the chance to win a limited-edition ketchup bottle.
The ‘Hold for Heinz’ campaign was developed in conjunction with partners at Heinz Canada and their creative agencies: Rethink, Carrot, and The Colony Project. “We’re always looking for unique and engaging ways to connect ownable brand traits with relatable consumer experiences, like the frustration of waiting for a page to load,” said Daniel Gotlib, Associate Director of Brand Building & Innovation at Kraft Heinz Canada.
After a year of growth in the CPG industry as a whole, Heinz does not foresee this development slowing down anytime soon. “Given the trend of people spending more time cooking and eating at home, we don’t expect things to go back fully to the way they were before the pandemic,” said Hayden. “In that vein, we’re expecting to see that consumers will keep shopping, keep cooking, and keep reaching for Heinz.”
The ‘Hold for Heinz’ website went live in the U.S. on February 25th and the lucky winners will be announced next week. Hopefully the 57-minute wait is worth it!
