Heinz is naturalizing refugees who work in burger joints. And we're leveraging our established network with these burger joints as points of contact, through physical stores, stores on delivery apps, and each establishment's social media channels. We did this by launching the "We employ a refugee" movement, celebrating the workforce of refugees and asking customers to write reviews about these individuals' work. At each point of contact, a link directed the consumer to the campaign platform. Then, with the assistance of an immigration law firm, we collected these reviews and wrote professional recommendation letters that halve the naturalization time.

Heinz is a century-old brand that has always emphasized that its products are made with natural ingredients. The Heinz Reviews campaign was developed in partnership with UNHCR (the UN refugee agency) to draw attention to an urgent issue: the naturalization of refugees and stateless individuals. Only with naturalization completed these individuals can enjoy the same rights as all citizens.

Brazil is one of the most receptive countries to receive refugees. In 2023, it became home to 710,000 refugees. Over the ten years between 2012 and 2022, Brazil saw a 3,415% increase in the number of recognized refugees.

Many of these refugees struggle to find employment because they lack complete documentation, and business owners are unaware that they can hire refugees even if the naturalization process is incomplete. In this scenario, 55% of refugees in Brazil are unemployed (compared to the overall rate of 7.9% in Brazil).

Among the employed refugees, a significant portion work in burger restaurants. In Brazil, there are several highly active communities dedicated to reviewing burger joints on digital platforms.

As a partner of the country's best burger joints and a brand that prioritizes not only natural ingredients but also the quality of life of those who work there, Heinz encourages people to write reviews of the burger joints they've visited and the professionals who served them.

The comments are formatted as letters of recommendation and can help halve the duration of the naturalization process.

Due to geopolitical or climatic issues, the forced displacement of people to other nations is a problem that affects the entire world, including Brazil. In 2023, the country became home to 710,000 refugees who had fled from countries such as Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine. Many of these individuals are accompanied by their families. The naturalization process can be lengthy and lead to unemployment within this group.

The Heinz Reviews campaign addresses this issue by encouraging the professional recognition of these refugees and stateless individuals, thereby aiding in their naturalization process.

By receiving numerous positive reviews of the work they have done, refugees receive a letter of recommendation that can halve the time it takes to acquire naturalization.

The Heinz Reviews campaign stems from two questions: How can we effectively help refugees gain Brazilian naturalization? How can we engage the Brazilian population into the refugee issue?

To engage the population, the campaign communicates that many of the food prepared in restaurants, especially burger houses, are made by refugees. And that, through a quick and easy review, people can help a refugee to naturalize.

With these reviews, the campaign creates a letter of recommendation that, attached to the naturalization process, can help refugees gain naturalization.

Burger restaurants are the establishments that hire the most refugees in Brazil. And burger enthusiasts are highly engaged, constantly fueling active communities of burger joint reviews.

The Heinz Reviews campaign demonstrates that people's engagement, through an easy and quick review, can unveil the excellent qualifications of the workers, who are highly skilled labor and should be recognized by all and taken into consideration.

As a result, beyond people's engagement, the campaign impacts employers, highlighting the importance of hiring refugees and how they add value to the business, increase diversity, and contribute to human dignity.

Burger enthusiasts’ communities are highly active in the online sphere. To engage not only these individuals but also those who dine at burger restaurants less frequently, the Heinz Reviews campaign was launched through a series of actions on social media and various platforms.

To encourage the submission of reviews, a dedicated website for the campaign was created. With straightforward language, it is easily accessible and designed to be user-friendly even for those who are not very familiar with the internet.

The campaign highlights the importance of welcoming refugees and stateless individuals and demonstrates how these people contribute to society.

The Heinz Review campaign made an impact not only on burger enthusiasts but also on those who visit these places less frequently. It also engaged both refugees working in burger restaurants and the entrepreneurs who own these business.

With easy access, the campaign website could be visited via desktops and mobile phones, allowing people to submit their reviews within minutes.

The received comments are mostly positive and, formatted as recommendation letters, can help expedite the naturalization process for refugees.

Moreover, burger restaurant owners realized that they can hire refugees even if the naturalization process is not complete. And they have the opportunity to evaluate refugees based on the recommendation letters crafted from the reviews.

"Who We Are." When you click on this link on the Heinz website, you'll find the statement: "Everyone is welcome at our table." That's what we believe, and that's why we proudly display it there. Because food is affection, food is sharing your meal with someone else. And since Heinz stands for burgers in many different forms, helping to drive the burger culture and the economy of these places, now it will also make a difference for those behind the scenes: the people who prepare burgers. People who were born but also came from abroad. And as in Brazil, many refugees work in burger joints, as indicated by the research conducted in the state that receives the most refugees in Brazil—30% of them work in burger joints. So, Heinz will now do its best for these people as well.