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Even if you’ve never been to Chicago, you’ve probably heard that its hot dogs are the stuff of legends. Because there are so many different ways to prepare a hot dog in the Windy City, ordering regular old ketchup is considered a faux pas. But ketchup lovers need not suffer any longer.
Getting ahead of the condiment controversy, Heinz is providing its own ketchup stations in select locations via its “Smack for Heinz” campaign. Created by agency Rethink and supported by The Kitchen, Zeno Group and Carat, the new initiative guarantees that ketchup will be readily available for Heinz fans in Chicago.
Inspired by the “smack!” sound of hitting the bottom of a Heinz bottle to get the ketchup out, fans will be able to smack a Heinz billboard to receive a small stash of ketchup packets.
A video highlights the playful nature of the billboards, showing the reactions of ketchup enthusiasts in response to “no ketchup” signs in restaurants.
An irrational love for ketchup
“One of the most consistent ways Heinz fans show their irrational love for our ketchup is their utter devastation and frustration when a restaurant doesn’t offer it,” Lizzy Goodman, brand communications manager at Heinz, said in a statement. “Underscoring our global creative platform, ‘Smack for Heinz’ not only combats this frequent ketchup catastrophe but also demonstrates to non-Heinz restaurants everywhere the lengths our fans will go to because ‘It Has to be Heinz.’”
Along with the YouTube short, digital OOH, TikTok and Instagram executions will be part of the campaign. The placement of billboards near “no ketchup” restaurants as reported by Heinz lovers is strategic, allowing fans to access a personal stash of Heinz via a QR code.
This is not the first attempt Heinz has made to appeal to Chicago, having also launched a limited run Chicago Dog Sauce back in 2017.
“The bottle smack is a universal symbol of the world’s love for Heinz. Knowing that there are restaurants all over the world that refuse to serve Heinz, we turned the Heinz smack into a way of helping people let out their frustration, and get the ketchup they want,” said Geoff Baillie, creative director at Rethink.