Creating the Viral ‘HEINZ Dipper’
Earlier this month, HEINZ made a global splash when it announced a new innovation – one capable of changing the french fry-eating game for good. Keenly aware of the struggles that come with consuming fries with ketchup when not at a restaurant – putting sauce straight on is sacrilege, after all – the brand, in partnership with creative agency Rethink, realised there was a simple but obvious solution. The result? A pop-out pocket capable of holding sauce, built straight into the fry cartons, called the ‘HEINZ Dipper’.
Released in 11 countries around the world, across four continents, this piece of craftsmanship was met with great appreciation. However, it also helped reinforce HEINZ’s global reputation as the obvious dip of choice for french fries, which was an even bigger win. At a time when 70% of ketchup and fry lovers admitted to having spilled ketchup when dipping on-the-go, and 80% said they’d considered skipping condiments due to a lack of dip-friendly packaging options, the brand and agency came in, tackled an obvious pain point, and let the craft speak on their behalf. A simple expansion of HEINZ’s ongoing ‘Away from Home’ channel, there was a story here worth dipping into.
For this reason, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Rethink partner and creative director Jacquelyn Parent, as well as The Kraft Heinz Company’s vice president, global Heinz brand, Nina Patel, to learn more.
LBB> From the top, what was the brief for this campaign, and how did it kickstart the process which would lead to the creation of the ‘HEINZ Dipper’?
Jacquelyn> Last year, we continued the journey to transform brand love into real consideration and prove that fries don’t just need ketchup – they need HEINZ. First, we launched ‘Looks Familiar’, a campaign that highlighted the remarkable revelation that fry boxes across restaurants globally are shaped just like the unmistakable HEINZ logo (demonstrating the inextricable link between the universally-loved duo).
Fast forward a few months, and we had the idea to launch the ‘HEINZ Dipper’ as a way for the brand to make the fry box work even harder for HEINZ lovers, solve a real consumer pain point, and further solidify that overarching belief that you can’t have fries without HEINZ.
LBB> Specifically, where did this idea come from? And at what point did you know it would even be feasible?
Jacquelyn> At Rethink, we’re always pushing for real-world ideas that give our brands a meaningful role in culture, and solving this particular consumer pain point was the perfect role for HEINZ.
In terms of feasibility, when an idea is at its core simple enough, we know we can be flexible about how it comes to life. So, as a team, we felt confident gauging initial feasibility with our (expert) print producer, and then getting clients on board before we started prototyping. That trust to go through the sometimes-messy development process as a team – brand and agency together – is really what made this possible.
LBB> What was the actual design process like? What did it take to ensure this innovation actually worked properly, and do you have any anecdotes from the experience?
Jacquelyn> From the beginning, we knew the HEINZ keystone was going to be an important anchor for the design. It had the key pieces: a ‘cup’-shaped base, a ‘tab’ at the top for pulling the pocket out, and a shape that mirrored the fry box, so it would be visually and literally balanced on the back.
From there, we worked very closely with our print vendors at TPS to design, mock up, prototype, and test until we found the most effective, simple, leak-proof and food-safe version. There were a lot of factors to consider, and even some unexpected ones, like people being a bit too eager to open the pocket and pulling the tabs right out, so on the final version, we added a gentle reminder in the HEINZ tone to ‘open slowly’.
LBB> Of course, a major part of this campaign was the marketing element, and getting this design out around the world. What did it take to launch this simultaneously in 11 different countries?
Jacquelyn> We’re very proud of the reach the team was able to accomplish worldwide. Like you said, the ‘HEINZ Dipper’ is available in 11 countries across four continents, including a first-ever activation in Kuwait, and six major cities across the US. We’re featured in popular restaurants in all of the participating countries – the busiest arena in Canada (Scotiabank Arena), a major music venue in Germany, and even in stadiums for NCAA men’s basketball games.
Logistically, every participating market worked with the ‘Away From Home’ team to engage with restaurants and venues. And then we coordinated the delivery of the boxes and local comms all in time for launch. It’s a testament to the relationship the ‘Away From Home’ team has with their partners and each other. Everyone was so excited to make this idea happen; they really went above and beyond.
LBB> With that in mind, are you hoping to take this innovation further if the opportunity arises? How does this fit into your goal of expanding HEINZ’s ‘Away from Home’ channel?
Nina> Absolutely. The ‘HEINZ Dipper’ was created to not only solve a consumer pain point, but also strengthen our brands’ role in the ‘Away from Home’ channel as a lever to grow distribution and build stronger relationships with our partners who are a part of the HEINZ Verified programme. (This is a global programme that’s designed for restaurant operators to be able to unlock more exclusive value, like getting access to innovations such as the ‘Dipper’ when they partner with HEINZ on premise).
LBB> Speaking of marketing, what has it taken to get word out about this innovation? How have you worked to ensure maximum engagement from day one?
Jacquelyn> We came together as an integrated, cross-functional team early on in the process to ensure from day one, the idea could maximise social engagement and press pick up with our partners at Zeno Group and The Kitchen.
Often what we prioritise to ensure engagement – beyond making sure an idea is ownable to the brand and meaningful to the consumer – are things like accessibility and realism. When people know they can go into a restaurant and interact with an idea that day, they’re more likely to get excited about it and share it. So, that meant finding the right distribution partners across markets that were just as excited as we were, and also making sure our content, imagery, social posts, influencer programs, etc. all made the ‘HEINZ Dipper’ feel like a cool design solution that people would want to interact with.
LBB> Overall, what were the biggest challenges you faced in the creation of this campaign, and what lessons did you learn along the way?
Jacquelyn> Like any great idea, there were challenges along the way. Logistical ones, practical ones, creative ones. Executing this on a global scale was no easy feat, but the team was so aligned and willing to adapt together that even with the added challenge of making it work universally, the process didn’t feel as daunting as you might expect.
As for lessons, it has been so awesome to see the reaction of fans using the ‘HEINZ Dipper’ in their daily behaviour, but one thing that was especially interesting across markets is that some countries eat their fries with mayonnaise. So, we had to make some content with ketchup, and some content with mayonnaise!
LBB> Since launch, how have people responded?
Nina> The response to the ‘HEINZ Dipper’ has been overwhelmingly positive, and since launch, we’ve gotten a lot of interest from new markets and partners, and are working hard to further scale the fry box innovation to even more locations in the future.
Jacquelyn> The response really has been amazing! This one was all for the fans, to help enhance their irrational love for HEINZ’s delicious sauce. It’s great when the goal is to solve an age-old pain point, and then people say “finally” when it comes out. Very validating.
LBB> How does this work fit into your overall marketing ambitions for HEINZ, whilst capitalising on the good work you’ve already done together?
Nina> The ‘HEINZ Dipper’ is a natural expression of the long-standing conviction we have – that every food moment is made better with HEINZ. In short, ‘It Has To Be HEINZ’.
Work like this helps us reinforce HEINZ’s relevance in the biggest and most universal food occasions around the world in a way that drives deeper consumer, customer, and brand connection every day.
LBB> Finally, have either of you had the chance to try out the ‘HEINZ Dipper’ yourself?
Jacquelyn> Yes! We had a french fry party at the Rethink office, and had a great time trying them out. Especially after many months testing the prototypes, it was a very satisfying experience.
