2024 Winner

Heinz Ketchup faced challenges with Kranch, a ketchup-ranch mash-up that struggled in sales. But, in 2023, amidst Taylor Swift’s much publicized romance with NFL player Travis Kelce, a viral post about Swift eating “ketchup and seemingly ranch” ignited renewed interest in the condiment. Capitalizing on this cultural moment, within 24 hours Rethink and Heinz rebranded Kranch as “Heinz Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch.”

The move resonated with Swift’s dedicated fan base (Swifties) and garnered significant attention, leading Heinz to launch outdoor advertising in Times Square and promote the brand at NFL games (particularly during Chiefs games) where it became a tailgate hit. The campaign earned six billion earned impressions and media coverage across major outlets. Social media engagement soared, surpassing benchmarks by 690%. Walmart responded by ordering cases of the product and sales surged dramatically, achieving 5x growth compared to regular ketchup sales.

Credits

Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman, Mike Dubrick, Daniel Lobatón
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Executive Creative Director: Xavier Blais
Creative Director: Zachary Bautista, Geoff Baillie, Sean O'Connor
Writer: Thom Peters, Geoff Baillie
Art Director: Mustaali Raj, Zachary Bautista, Steve Miller
Designer: Mustaali Raj
Strategist: Julian Morgan, Emma Bayfield
Director of Integrated Content - Print/Studio: AJ Merrick
Producer: Venus Pun, Kate A. Spencer, Terri Winter
Studio: Todd Bennett, Kostas Loukopoulos
Group Business Lead: Adam Ball
Group Account Director: Rob Dix
Account Director: David Greisman
Account Supervisor: Rachel Cloth, Jessie Durand
Account Manager: Bhumika Baweja
Tabletop Photographer: Nick Greaves
Content Photographer/Cinematographer: Denis Gutiérrez-Ogrinc
Production Co.: FUZE Reps
Line Producer: Kate A. Spencer
PR: Zeno Group
Media: Starcom

Client:
Head of Brand Comms North America: Nina Patel
Director, Brand Comms: Megan Lang
Sr. Brand Manager: Jacqueline Chao
Brand Manager: Navjit Dhillon