AD OF THE WEEK/MONTH/WHATEVER: Heinz Oscars Snub

Heinz ketchup has joined the growing list of stars who are frustrated with being snubbed at the Oscars. I’m not kidding here. After hundreds of appearances in movies, Kraft Heinz Canada has propelled a humorous campaign into social media and it left me wondering why I didn’t come up with this myself. With the Oscars only a few days away and all of the normal buzz about snubs, Heinz’s campaign includes a brilliant spot highlighting all the cameos the iconic condiment has made in movies over the decades. It even included trying to get an official Heinz page up on IMDB.

Heinz Canada worked with the Rethink Toronto to put up an IMDB page but it was ultimately removed.

All this did was which further Heinz’s tongue-in-cheek outrage and generated a ton of free press. With IMDB playing right into its marketing plan, Heinz is asking its fans to look for the ketchup in movies and share them on their social feeds in exchange for free ketchup. Don’t offer a ketchup lover freebies because they will go seven extra miles to get the thick red stuff., with the promise of free ketchup for those who take part.

Take a look at the brilliance of this commercial:

This according to Brian Neumann, senior brand manager of condiments at Kraft Heinz Canada:

“Award season is an occasion that gets everyone talking. As we look to deliver more contextually relevant and timely content to our consumers, we wanted to find a way to join the conversation. Nothing speaks more to the iconic nature of Heinz Ketchup than our appearances in countless films. This felt like the perfect time to reward our fans for spotting us in their favorite movies”

Rethink Toronto’s creative director Mike Dubrick told the Clio Muse:

“Heinz is front and center in some of the biggest movies and greatest scenes of all time. It’s one of those things that once you notice it, you can’t stop seeing it. As we were looking for ways to further cement the brand’s iconic status, it just felt right. If Wilson the volleyball gets in the credits, why shouldn’t Heinz?” 

It’s true, Wilson the Volleyball does have his own IMDB page.

The campaign’s massive response from fans has been nothing short of impressive. How will it all end? Who know, but for now, I’ll have what she’s having…

CREDITS
Spot Title: Heinz On Film
Creative Director: Mike Dubrick, Nicolas Quintal
Art Director: Hayley Hinkley, Vanessa Harbec
Writer: Jacquelyn Parent, Matthieu Lacombe