48% of Heinz customers have had ketchup accidents - one of Heinz’s most unforgiving customer pain points. While we can’t prevent mishaps, we can cover them. Inspired by 57 real incidents found on social media, we launched an insurance program offering customers coverage against 57 ketchup mishaps. By calling our 24-hour ketchup insurance hotline, claimants navigated a witty, interactive automated voice system with 57 different options and jokes over 11 minutes to identify and make their claim. If successful, claimants received services, like laundry. We turned this global ‘mishap’ insight into an entertaining and rewarding audio experience for Heinz customers.

Heinz Ketchup Insurance thrived by understanding UAE and KSA markets and addressing key cultural and market factors. It tapped into the region's high-stress, fast-paced reality, where insurance is increasingly in demand. Our campaign offered lighthearted relief from this common annoyance, the dreaded ketchup mishap that 48% of Heinz customers have experienced, transforming everyday frustration into amusement and a deeper brand connection.

Our campaign also leveraged the region's social media savviness. Many residents document their ketchup catastrophes online. Heinz turned this into a brand loyalty exercise by encouraging participation in the campaign through social media. This capitalized on existing online trends and fostered a vibrant ketchup catastrophe community.

The campaign also addressed pressing market realities. Heinz faces a lot of competition in the local ketchup market, where numerous competitors undercut it in price. With rising living costs threatening Heinz, a more premium ketchup brand, some consumers are shifting towards cheaper options. The coverage offered a valuable benefit (cleaning compensation), helping maintain customer loyalty by providing a solution to a real concern. Setting Heinz apart in the crowded ketchup market, this program grabbed attention and cemented brand differentiation with its playful yet serious approach.

The campaign also catered to the fast-paced culture by offering rewards like cleaning help through MyBenefits, a popular app - a perfect fit for busy lifestyles. This focus on convenience further solidified Heinz's position as a brand that understands its customers.

By leveraging cultural insights and addressing market realities, we effectively strengthened Heinz’s position in the region.

Customers in the UAE and KSA who experienced a ketchup incident were invited to call Heinz’s free 24-hour hotline on 800-575757. However, callers encountered an automated voice system that meticulously detailed 57 distinct ketchup accident claims in the voice of a female robotic voice, extending the listening process to potentially 11 minutes. Jokes about the wait were heard about the hotline throughout the claim process to keep the listener engaged and entertained. Even after selecting the most relevant claim, further automated questioning ensured the claim adhered to the insurance program's legally-binding terms and conditions. Finally, callers were presented with the opportunity to leave a detailed voice message describing their specific ketchup mishap to make their claim in their own words, before being thanked for their submission.

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Recognizing that ketchup stains are a significant customer pain point (nearly half of Heinz customers have experienced one!), and with social media overflowing with fans documenting their messy mishaps, Heinz sought to launch a campaign to address these concerns with a positively humorous solution and solidify brand loyalty in the incredibly competitive UAE and KSA ketchup market. The objective was twofold: to retain and reward existing customers for their unwavering love for Heinz and to build stronger connections through a unique, entertaining and engaging campaign that showed fans that they should continue to choose Heinz ketchup – worry-free (and hopefully stain-free)! And so, Heinz Ketchup Insurance was born with its own humorous hotline. Because if it’s worth the risk, it has to be Heinz.

The Heinz Ketchup Insurance campaign significantly elevated brand engagement and perception, reaching 136.1 million people globally, with $23M in earned media. Many ketchup-accident claimants got involved in the program with 3056 applications made in only one month! Engagement with the brand soared by 856%, reflecting the campaign’s appeal. This initiative also encouraged a change in consumer behavior; participation in the insurance program led to increased Heinz ketchup usage as customers interacted more with the brand. The lighthearted approach to spill management enhanced Heinz’s brand perception by turning potential negative experiences into positive, memorable interactions. In short, the campaign strengthened brand loyalty, enhanced customer satisfaction, and established Heinz as a caring and innovative presence.

Recognizing that ketchup stains are a significant customer pain point (nearly half of Heinz customers have experienced one!), and with social media overflowing with fans documenting their messy mishaps, Heinz sought to launch a campaign to address these concerns with a positively humorous solution and solidify brand loyalty in the incredibly competitive UAE and KSA ketchup market. Enter Heinz Ketchup Insurance with its own emergency hotline. The objective was twofold: to retain and reward existing customers for their unwavering love for Heinz and to build stronger connections through a unique, entertaining and engaging campaign that showed fans that they should continue to choose Heinz ketchup – worry-free (and hopefully stain-free)! And so, Heinz Ketchup Insurance was born. Because if it’s worth the risk, it has to be Heinz.