Heinz will release a limited-edition sauce, "Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch," that is inspired by a viral tweet about Taylor Swift's choice of condiments at a recent Kansas City Chiefs football game. The moment was part of an internet-breaking event this weekend as the pop star was allegedly at the game to watch Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, spurring rumors about their relationship status.
A tweet from a fan account that included a picture of Swift "eating a piece of chicken with ketchup and seemingly ranch!" has had more than 32 million views as of press time. To capitalize on the viral moment, Heinz and agency Rethink came up with the new condiment and campaign in less than 24 hours.
The brand will release more info on how to get the sauce on its Instagram page. The company chose 100 for the limited-run by combining Swift's lucky number, 13, and Kelce's jersey number, 87.
The effort falls neatly under Heinz's first unified global brand platform, "It Has to be Heinz," which launched this summer and keys in on the “irrational love” fans express for the marketer's brands. By tapping into a similar furor of all things Taylor Swift, Heinz can connect with consumers around a pop culture phenomenon.
Previously, Heinz took a similarly culture-minded approach with a “15 Minutes of Flavor” effort that linked the brand with past viral stars and “Stupid Good, Not Stupid Spicy,” an ad campaign inspired by hype around unreasonably spicy foods.
