Recently, Heinz and Absolut Vodka announced an unlikely brand collaboration. Household favourite Heinz has partnered with premium vodka Absolut to create a vodka-based tomato pasta sauce. The partnership of the two brands takes inspiration from a pasta recipe that went viral on TikTok in 2020. When American model Gigi Hadid admitted she liked her pasta with a little vodka kick. Sending social media fans into a frenzy in an attempt to try and replicate the dish.
The product launch has gone viral! The advertising can be attributed to the stunning photography and iconography associated with the Absolut brand. The £2.50, limited-edition sauce can be purchased in Waitrose stores from mid-April. Additionally, it ordered for home delivery through Heinz’s D2C offering “Heinz to Home”. Which Heinz launched in April 2020 as a response to Covid-19.
Heinz is no stranger to odd brand collaborations. Previously, Heinz has worked with The Who to release limited edition cans of Heinz Baked Beans . Additionally, Heinz have recently collaborated with vintage clothing company ThredUp to create a line of ketchup-stained clothing (I don’t understand it either!). It is worth noting, that these collaborations were created to generate awareness and raise money for charitable causes.
At first glance, it appears the incongruous collaboration between Heinz and Absolut is merely another publicity stunt to generate a viral buzz. However, it is a well-crafted PR move as part of a broader strategy to promote Heinz’s D2C proposition and show them as cutting-edge innovators.
The limited-edition sauce can only be purchased through the high-end supermarket Waitrose or by users visiting Heinz’s D2C site. Creating a compelling reason for consumers to buy directly from Heinz rather than just popping down to their local retailer. Through this campaign, many consumers will be introduced to the concept of ordering Heinz directly to their homes. Likewise, the viral nature of the stunt will appeal to Gen-Z consumers. Gen Z who are also most likely to use food delivery services such as HelloFresh and Gousto.
Another benefit of the collaboration is to promote the full range of Heinz pasta sauce products. Heinz pasta sauces were launched in 2022 to limited fanfare. With the pasta sauces using the marketing slogan ‘150 years too late’. By using an outlandish ingredient such as Vodka and positioning the product as a ‘limited edition’, Heinz was able to create more buzz around what could be seen as a generic product range of pasta sauces and reinvigorate public interest around their pasta range.
Finally, the campaign gained significant organic traction from consumers relating it to a viral pasta recipe promoted by American model Gigi Hadid. As shown from Heinz’s recent work with Ed Sheeran to develop his Tingly Ted’s hot sauce range, it pays to work with some of the world’s iconic influencers. The organic media reach generated from fans interacting with the campaign means that it will get even more publicity. Furthermore this highlights Heinz’s intention for Heinz at Home to be viewed by consumers as an innovative D2C proposition that stays up-to-date with the latest trends.
Although the benefits for Heinz are obvious, it is difficult to say how Absolut will benefit from the collaboration. As many consumers may view the collaboration as gimmicky and ill-fitting with their positioning as the world’s most recognised premium vodka brand. But, it appears that the Absolut PR team view the campaign as ‘all publicity is good publicity’. The benefits of associating with one of the world’s largest CPG brands will outweigh any potential minor damage to their brand image.
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