Is That Heinz? A red label strip helped diners spot ketchup refills

A Heinz bottle could carry the right logo and still contain another brand’s ketchup. In Turkey, some restaurants refilled empty Heinz bottles with alternatives, leaving customers to assume the sauce inside matched the name outside.

In March 2023, Heinz introduced a label designed to make that substitution easier to notice. Is That Heinz? added a red strip matched to the colour of Heinz Tomato Ketchup, placing a visual reference beside the sauce.

The campaign gave diners a comparison they could make at the table. A difference between the ketchup and the label’s red edge raised a question about what the restaurant was serving.

The label carried a reference for the ketchup inside

The design started with the product’s colour. The team identified Heinz Tomato Ketchup’s shade using the Pantone colour system and placed a matching strip around the edge of the label.

That positioning put the reference close to the contents of the bottle. Customers could compare the two without needing a second bottle of Heinz beside them.

The familiar packaging had been part of the refill problem. A restaurant could keep displaying the brand after replacing its ketchup. Is That Heinz? gave that same packaging a role in drawing attention to a possible substitution.

The idea focused on something visible before a customer tasted the food. It asked diners to look at the sauce as well as the logo, with the red strip supplying the colour they were looking for.

Heinz distributed bottles with the new labels to restaurants in Turkey. The campaign placed its central device where the problem occurred, alongside meals and within reach of the people being served.

An Instagram filter extended the colour comparison

The campaign also introduced an Instagram filter that let customers check the ketchup’s colour in restaurants. It carried the same comparison into a digital format, giving diners another way to engage with the question.

Social posts introduced the campaign with images of substitute ketchup being served in Heinz bottles. The line “Is That Heinz?” connected those examples to the new label and filter.

Together, the packaging and social activity addressed the gap between recognising a bottle and recognising its contents. The label supplied a reference at the table, while the digital campaign explained why customers might want to make that comparison.

The work won two Bronze Lions at Cannes Lions 2023, in Creative B2B and Brand Experience & Activation.

Is That Heinz? made the bottle’s contents part of the brand’s message. The name on the label set an expectation, and the new red edge gave diners a visible reason to question whether the sauce fulfilled it.

Credits

Is That Heinz? (2023). Brand Heinz Turkey. Agency Wunderman Thompson Turkey, now VML. Global Chief Creative Officers Bas Korsten and Daniel Bonner. Executive Creative Director Ümit Taşlı. Creative Director Onur Kutluer. Head of Art Burak Tozkoparan. Art Director Merve Oğuz. Copywriter Göktuğ Hekimoğlu. Marketing Director MEA & Türkiye Passant El-Ghannam. Brand Manager Yağmur Ünal. Awards two Bronze Lions at Cannes Lions 2023, in Creative B2B and Brand Experience & Activation.