Heinz launches first-ever global brand platform

Heinz is launching its first-ever global brand platform in its 150-year history, backed by parent company Kraft Heinz’s biggest media investment to date.

‘It has to be Heinz’ sees the brand unify under one global strategy for the first time, and celebrates the love consumers have for Heinz products, ranging from its beans to ketchup.

The platform, developed in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy, showcases the sometimes irrational love people have for the brand. It spotlights stories of people going above and beyond for their love of the brand, from getting Heinz tattoos, to smuggling tins of beans through airport security – stories, which have been sourced from social media, news articles and through word of mouth.

This irrational love is also driving a larger transformation at Kraft Heinz.

Cristina Kenz, Kraft Heinz

Kraft Heinz chief growth officer for the North American zone, Diana Frost, says the platform is Heinz’s “love song” to its fans.

“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,” she says.

There are five ads in total, all spotlighting these stories. The platform, backed by Kraft Heinz’s biggest-ever media spend, will go out across TV, online video, cinema, social, and out-of-home.

It is being debuted in the US, UK and Canada, with the brand planning to roll it out across additional markets in the next six months.

‘Irrational love’

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Cristina Kenz, Kraft Heinz’s international chief growth officer, says the feeling of “irrational love” that consumers have for the brand is reciprocated by the business.

“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,” she adds.

Innovation has been front-and-centre at Heinz in recent months. This has included the launch of a range of bean burgers and frozen products, as well as entry into the pasta sauce category.

“We approach it with intentionality. Part of your business plan needs to rely on innovation, because if you plan to rely on innovation, then you’re going to put forward the resources needed for the innovation to succeed,” Kraft Heinz new ventures director Caio Fontenele told Marketing Week last year, on the company’s innovation strategy.

As well as innovation, Kraft Heinz is also expanding its in-house creative agency The Kitchen in order to make its ad spend work harder.

Kraft Heinz has pledged to increase its marketing spend by double-digits this year to win share across its markets.