Branding · Global · 2021
Heinz: Draw Ketchup
Heinz asked people around the world to draw ketchup. Most drew a Heinz bottle.
By Maer Media editorial teamPublished 4 October 20263 min readRethink, CanadaBranding · Packaging · Market & Growth
- Brand
- Heinz
- Market
- Global
- Year
- 2021
- Category
- Branding
- Agency or team
- Rethink, Canada
- Channels
- Social, outdoor
The context
Heinz wanted to prove it owned the category in people’s minds, not just on shelves.
People picture Heinz when they think of ketchup.
The move
Rethink Canada ran a simple experiment: people were asked to “draw ketchup”. Most drew the Heinz bottle, often with its label. The drawings became the campaign.
How it was executed
- Asked people to draw ketchup.
- Collected the drawings.
- Turned them into ads.
Heinz asked people around the world to draw ketchup. Most drew a Heinz bottle.
What happened Reported facts
The campaign was widely shared and became a reference for proving distinctive brand assets in the customer’s mind.
Why it worked Maer’s analysis
It proved category ownership with simple research.
What to take from it Maer’s analysis
- 01Measure what people remember, not just what they buy.
- 02Your shape and label are memory structures.
- 03Simple experiments make powerful proof.
Indian brands can test their distinctive assets by asking customers to draw them.
Where Maer applies this
The same thinking runs through these brand templates:
Sources: Kraft Heinz; Rethink (2021). Figures are as publicly reported; Maer Media was not involved in this work and is not affiliated with Heinz.
The Maer Media editorial team studies how brands are built, from positioning and packaging to launches and growth. Figures in each case study come from the public sources listed above; the analysis and the India notes are our own. More about Maer
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