Heinz and Absolut Go Back to the 80s for Pasta Alla Vodka Sauce Launch

Like many legendary dishes, the origins of penne alla vodka (a staple of Italian-American cuisine) are heavily disputed.

Chef Luigi Franzese, who worked at Orsini Restaurant in New York, is reported to have invented the sauce in the 70s. Other food historians believe it was conceived later in the 80s by James Doty, a Columbia University graduate. Italian chefs, meanwhile, have laid their own claims to the creamy tomato-based dish, including Pasquale Bruno Jr., who credits Bologna restaurant Dante for plating it up to the world.  

Whatever you believe, there’s no denying it’s a crowd pleaser, and in recent years it’s gained viral notoriety on TikTok, thanks to a video showing model Gigi Hadid putting her own stamp on the recipe.

That’s why Heinz has teamed up with vodka brand Absolut to launch its own version of the classic sauce.

In 2022, the ketchup maker issued an apology after arriving 150 years late to the pasta sauce game. Now its Heinz x Absolut collaboration will add to its existing range, offering limited edition jars in Waitrose stores across the U.K.

The new product is being launched via parent firm Kraft Heinz’s New Ventures division, which was founded in 2020 to discover and develop innovative products and new flavors.

Reinventing an old-school campaign

Paying homage to the vintage dish, the supporting campaign was devised by Wunderman Thompson Spain and inspired by Absolut’s famous 1980s ads, which were shot by Andy Warhol and depicted what the legend described as the “artfulness” of the brand’s bottle in different ways with taglines such as “Absolut Perfection” and “Absolut Brooklyn.”

This time around, the executions feature the same simple visual design but with a twist that marks the two brands coming together. Taglines include: “Absolutely Heinz. Ridiculously Good” and “Absolutely Tomato. Ridiculously Good.”

Paco Badia, executive creative director for Wunderman Thompson Spain, said he drew inspiration from the Absolut Book by ad man Richard W. Lewis, which delves into the thinking and strategy behind the original campaign.

“It’s a privilege to be able to honor such an iconic campaign, and I would like to think that Lewis would approve the latest iteration to celebrate this exciting collaboration,” he said.

The campaign will run across billboards in London, as well as wildposting at various U.K. locations. A social media push will follow later this week with posts on Heinz’s and Absolut’s channels featuring the hashtag #AbsolutelyHeinz.

Cooking up innovation

The unexpected partnership comes as Kraft Heinz has been working overtime to drive a culture of creativity and innovation internally, using data analytics tools to inform ideas that stretch its $1 billion marketing spend further.

Innovations driven by its New Ventures team and supported by in-house creative shop, The Kitchen, have ranged from the launch of Amoy’s SOSU, a range of Pan-Asian meal kits to special “Marz Edition” ketchup developed in the U.S. alongside the Aldrin Space Institute.

Earlier in 2023, the CPG giant’s international chief growth and sustainability officer Cristina Kenz told Adweek these were just some examples “of the magic that can happen when you bring creativity, innovation and sustainability together.”

She added: “The creative muscle is there, so it’s much easier to marry it all up.”

Caio Fontenele, Kraft Heinz’s New Ventures director for U.K. and Ireland, said: “While it may have taken over 150 years of tomato expertise to launch our first Heinz pasta sauce, we’re determined to continue innovating and delighting consumers with delicious flavors, at the speed of social media trends.”