Combining disparate elements such as Tik Tok trends, 80’s nostalgia and pop culture, the epic collaboration between Heinz and Absolut was an instant hit with consumers, becoming Heinz’s biggest partnership in the last five years. Inspired by Absolut's famous ads shot by Andy Warhol, the campaign turns back the clock to one of advertising's legendary eras and is covered in major media titles in more than 30 countries, including The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Sun, The Mirror, and The Daily Mail, amongst many others.
Absolutely Heinz
A classic collaboration turns a ridiculously good launch into a ridiculously epic partnership.
Client
- The Kraft Heinz Company
Office
- Spain
Heinz and Absolut Vodka's pasta sauce launch brings joy to pasta sauce lovers around the world.
We are determined to continue to innovate and delight consumers at the speed of social media trends. The iconic combination of Heinz's high quality tomato sauces and Absolut's premium vodka is set to offer fans the ultimate Pasta alla Vodka experience. And the result is absolutely delicious.
Caio Fontanele
Director of Heinz New Ventures
After 150 years, Heinz launched its first pasta sauce for the British market with the "Ridiculously Late, Ridiculously Good" platform and a year after its success, Heinz sought to refresh and bring new excitement to the category and the brand by creating buzz about what was happening and inspiring audiences find out more.
The inspiration came from “Penne alla Vodka”, a 1980s recipe that model Gigi Hadid turned hugely viral on TikTok. What could generate more buzz than launching this trendy sauce in collaboration with Absolut – the UK's #1 premium vodka? Clearly a win-win strategy was for Heinz to leverage the "cool factor" of Absolut, while Absolut could leverage Heinz’s iconic and witty brand.
The creative idea was destined to be inspired by Absolut 1980s and 90s print campaigns in terms of copy, art direction and craft. That’s how "Absolutely Tomato", "Absolutely Foodie" and "Absolutely Pasta" were born. We searched for a perfect balance between both brands by integrating Heinz with the most iconic silhouette in the history of advertising. We elevated the value of the collaboration by paying homage to the "old school" masters, making it look organic and no CGI was used in the process.
The campaign achieved astonishing results, quickly garnering over 500M earned media impressions and went global as it was covered in more than 900 media titles in more than 30 countries. It also generated massive social conversations, especially on TikTok, where #AbsolutelyHeinz achieved more than 6.6M views.
More than 200 fashion editors and well-known influencers reached out for product samples, and though sales weren’t the main objective, the product reached 50 units per store per week (versus a typical average of seven) and doubled projected sales. We're proud to say that the launch generated a 52% uplift on Heinz's entire pasta sauce range driven by this product alone.
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Awards
2023 Eficacia Awards
Best International Campaign
Gold
2023 El Sol Iberoamericano
Silver
2023 El Sol Iberoamericano
Integrated Campaign
Silver
2023 Cannes Lion
Industry Craft (3) & PR
Shortlist
Press
Heinz x Absolut Vodka
Contagious
Heinz Absolut collab revives classis ad style for new pasta sauceAdAge
Heinz and Absolut Go Back to the 80s for Pasta Alla Vodka Sauce LaunchAdWeek
Heinz and vodka brand team up to give pasta sauces a shotThe Times
TikTok to a Heinz jar: vodka pasta sauce’s journey from fad to supermarket shelvesThe Guardian
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