To introduce Heinz Pickle Flavoured Ketchup to the Australian market, Heinz partnered with TBWA\Sydney and Eleven in an eye-catching campaign by sending a human pickle to the world’s largest tomato festival, La Tomatina, in Spain. This fun and memorable visual captured the unique flavour profile of the new ketchup, drawing on Australians’ love for both pickles and Heinz ketchup.
The campaign launched on social media, inviting hundreds of hopeful applicants to compete for the role of the human pickle. Ultimately, one lucky winner donned a custom-made pickle costume and traveled to Spain to participate in the festival, where they were pelted with tomatoes as part of the campaign’s quirky and joyful stunt.
Andrea Payne, Head of Marketing at Kraft Heinz ANZ, explained the campaign’s creative vision: “To launch our delicious new flavour of Heinz ketchup, we wanted to tap into the irrational love Australians have for both pickles and ketchup, while expanding on our global brand platform ‘It has to be Heinz.’ Heinz has been passionate about pickles for over 150 years, with our founder Henry J. Heinz even earning the nickname ‘The Pickle King.’”
Katrina Alvarez-Jarratt, Executive Creative Director at TBWA\Sydney, shared how the campaign celebrated the essence of Heinz: “No other brand could create such a joyful moment like this for their product. This campaign is a celebration of Heinz Tomato Ketchup and the delicious taste of pickles. Watching someone in a pickle costume being pelted with tomatoes is not only a visual representation of the product’s flavour but also a joyful, sharable, and fun experience.”
The campaign’s reach was expanded through earned media coverage and was further supported by social media, digital films, and traditional media formats, solidifying its success in promoting Heinz’s new pickle-flavoured ketchup.
Credits:
Client: Kraft Heinz
Michael Magee – Chief Marketing Officer
Andrea Payne – Head of Marketing
Nicola Curran – Snr Brand Manager
Tim Smith-Brand Manager
Creative Agency – TBWA\Sydney
PR Agency – Eleven
Costume designer – Jo Woodcroft
Sound – Beau Silvester & Guy Fenech
Production – Fonktown
DOP – Pablo Maison
Photography – Santi Gómez Portillo Editing – Bolt
Human Pickle – Angus Cummings
Media – Carat