In Italy, the sauce market is quite complex compared to other countries. Heinz is relatively new here and is in the midst of a very ambitious process: becoming a love brand. This is ambitious due to the many competitors who, besides being present in the territory for a long time, also enjoy much higher awareness (99% vs Heinz 94%).

The objective of the campaign was to start building the credibility for Heinz to talk in the world of entertainment, particularly football, creating valuable connections with consumers, while increasing the awareness and consideration of the brand in a key occasion, where sauces penetration is high.

In a world crowded by big brands and even bigger sponsorships, we needed to find the Heinz way to reach our goals.

Paninari have dedicated their lives to enhance the stadium experience for all fans. At the same time, they have sacrificed their own love for football. They are always anchored to their trucks just a few steps from the entrance but unable to enter the stadium.

To honor their dedication, we recruited three famous Italian chefs who, for one night, replaced three paninari at San Siro, allowing them to enjoy an Inter Milan match for the first time.

A message dedicated to our Stadium Heroes aired before the game on the maxi screens, culminating in a standing ovation from the entire stadium.

The partnership with a team was crucial, but the celebration was so genuine and inclusive that it brought fans of all teams together under the banner of paninari.

We've switched our attention from the main course to the sides because, in both football and food, what is on the side makes it special. We've coined Heinz's 'iconically collateral' philosophy, focusing on the side elements of the game - more ownable for the brand and linked to moments of consumption: pre-match sandwiches prepared by paninari.

Our focus was on 'paninari,' figures close to Heinz (and its products) and beloved by fans, yet whose backstory and struggles are largely unknown: despite spending their life near the stadium, they never manage to watch a match because they're busy working outside.

By sharing their stories and their first time inside San Siro, we created a sense of community around them, so that fans of every team recognized their importance in the stadium experience, beyond team colors.

We shared the stories of our 3 'paninari' and their incredible night in a 2.25-minute video, which racked up over 4 million views (in a country of 59 million people) exclusively on Heinz Italy's social channels (IG, FB, and YT).

The video was spontaneously reposted by influencers and industry experts, while the entire campaign garnered coverage from national publications, reaching a total audience of 20 million and making 50 million impressions.

This content quickly became the top-performing organic content in Heinz Italy's history, surpassing the second highest by over 2000%.

The celebration of the 'paninari' captured the attention of Italian supporters, with 100% positive sentiment across all channels.

Moreover, ketchup sales saw a significant boost:

+23% volume sales in the 2 weeks following the launch

+22% value sales in the 4 weeks following the launch

+3pt Market Share in the 4 weeks following the launch