Key takeaways
- Heinz prompted DALL·E 2 with plain requests such as ketchup in space and found the images still looked like Heinz, which became the campaign's proof of brand strength.
- The reported reach is 850 million earned impressions in one award entry and 1.15 billion in later write-ups. These are impressions, not unique people.
- The strategy is four steps: find a trend, connect it to your brand, let the audience play, and package it into one repeatable line.
- Most brands cannot copy the result, because it rested on decades of consistent visual identity. You can still run the same test on your own brand in an afternoon.
In this post25 sections
- What If a Condiments Brand Use AI?
- Heinz AI Ketchup campaign: quick facts
- Campaign Overview
- Campaign Objectives
- 1. Prove that Heinz = Ketchup (Even to AI)
- 2. Join the AI Trend (Before Everyone Else)
- 3. Reach a Younger, Tech-Savvy Audience
- 4. Spark Conversation and UGC
- 5. Keep Heinz Top-of-Mind Without Saying Much
- 6. Be the First to Do Something Bold
- Results
- Heinz AI ketchup campaign results at a glance
- Trend + Brand = Magic
- Step 1: Find a Trend
- Step 2: Connect the Trend to Your Brand
- Step 3: Let the Audience Play
- Step 4: Package It Into a Story
- Conclusion
- Let’s hear from you
- The Heinz test: does a model describe or draw your brand?
- How to run the test on ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and an image model
- The 4-step playbook, updated for 2026 with AI tools
- Prompt templates
- Checklist: does AI draw your product?
- Caveats: what Heinz had that you may not
What If a Condiments Brand Use AI?
Heinz used it in a way we can’t imagine
You know how when someone says search something, you think of Google? Or when someone says tissue, you think of a red and white Kleenex box?
That’s called brand power. And Heinz? It has that too.
When Heinz asked AI to draw ketchup, the results looked like… Heinz.
No logo, no name - just the shape, the color, the vibe. All Heinz.
That’s how strong the brand is.
So, what did Heinz do next?
Campaign Overview
Campaign Name: Heinz “AI Ketchup”
Campaign Dates: April, May 2023
Industry: Food & Beverages (Condiments)
Target Audience: Millennials, Gen Z, and tech lovers (mainly in the U.S. and Canada)
In 2023, Heinz wanted to try something very new and exciting.
They wanted to connect their classic ketchup with AI to show how creative and trendy Heinz could be by using AI to create ads. They used DALL·E 2 to implement this.
So, Heinz gave DALL·E 2 some funny and creative instructions like:
- Ketchup in space
- Ketchup as a superhero
- Renaissance painting of ketchup
It was always surprising when DALL·E 2 made a picture. Even though the images were unique and funny, they always had a Heinz-like feel.
Heinz then used these fun AI-generated images in digital ads and social media posts.
The campaign got more attention, especially from those curious about how AI works and how it could help in marketing. But the brand didn’t stop there.
They also invited their fans to create their own AI ketchup images. People could play with AI tools and share their creations online.
That got even more people talking and engaging with the brand.
By using AI, Heinz didn’t just show off some cool technology.
They also reminded everyone that Heinz is the first thing people think of when they think of ketchup, even when AI is involved!
Campaign Objectives
Heinz didn’t just run this campaign for fun.
They had clear goals behind using AI in their ads. Here’s what they wanted to achieve:
1. Prove that Heinz = Ketchup (Even to AI)
Heinz wanted to show that their brand is so strong that even a computer (AI) thinks of Heinz when asked to show ketchup. They didn’t give the AI any brand names, but the results looked just like Heinz.
The objective is to remind people that Heinz is the default ketchup in their minds (and even in AI’s mind).
2. Join the AI Trend (Before Everyone Else)
In 2023, AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E were becoming super popular. Heinz didn’t wait to join the trend early and stood out.
The objective is to position Heinz as a smart, modern, and creative brand that keeps up with new technology.
3. Reach a Younger, Tech-Savvy Audience
Heinz wanted to connect with Gen Z and Millennials because these people love creativity, trends, and digital tools. Using AI was a clever way to speak their language.
The objective is to attract younger consumers who care about innovation and design, not just taste.
4. Spark Conversation and UGC
Heinz didn’t just make AI ads and stop there. They also invited fans to try making AI ketchup images and share them online. That got people talking and tagging Heinz.
The objective is to increase engagement, shares, and earned media by turning fans into creators.
5. Keep Heinz Top-of-Mind Without Saying Much
Heinz let the AI images tell the story instead of asking people to try their ketchup. That made people feel curious, talk about it, and remember the brand without being pushy.
The objective is to build brand love and awareness indirectly in a creative way.
6. Be the First to Do Something Bold
No other food brand had made an AI-generated ad campaign before this. Heinz became the first in the world to do it.
The objective is to win attention by being a category-first mover in AI marketing.
Results
The campaign reached more than 1.15 billion people worldwide. This exposure was worth over 25 times the money Heinz spent on ads.
On social media, people interacted with the campaign 38% more than usual. Even other brands like Ducati and Sportsnet joined in the fun.
The campaign was covered by major publications like Fast Company, Bloomberg, TechCrunch, and Forbes.
Heinz created special ketchup bottles with AI-generated labels.
They also set up art galleries, both in real life and in the metaverse, to show AI art.
Trend + Brand = Magic
Use this strategy to stay relevant, memorable, and engaging… just like Heinz did.
Step 1: Find a Trend
Look for something new that people are talking about right now.
It could be:
- AI tools (like DALL·E or ChatGPT)
- New social media filters
- A viral meme or challenge
- Something from pop culture (like a movie or song)
Do a regular X (Twitter), TikTok, Reddit, or Product Hunt check.
Step 2: Connect the Trend to Your Brand
Now, ask yourself: If this trend showed my product… what would it look like? For example:
- If AI draws my product, what will it create?
- If a new meme talks about a problem, how does my product solve it?
- If people love a movie character, how would they use my product?
Keep it fun, bold, and visually interesting.
Step 3: Let the Audience Play
Let your followers or customers join in the fun.
Ask them to:
- Try the trend using your product
- Share their creations
- Tag your brand
Then, reward the best entries with a shoutout or freebie.
Step 4: Package It Into a Story
Don’t just post random trend content. Add a strong line that ties it together. Think about Heinz, for example: Even AI thinks ketchup looks like Heinz.
Make it short, repeatable, and clear.
This strategy works because:
- People love trends. They feel fresh and fun
- You don’t need a big budget
- It gets people talking and sharing
- It shows your brand is modern and creative
Conclusion
Heinz didn’t just use AI for fun. They used it to prove their brand strength, join a trend early, and get people talking without spending millions on ads.
And guess what? They showed that even AI knows who the ketchup king is.
Trends come and go. But when your brand is strong, even the future (like AI) recognizes it.
Let’s hear from you
What’s the coolest AI-generated ad you have seen so far?
Do you think AI can replace ad designers one day?
If you have more money than brains, you should focus on outbound marketing. If you have more brains than money, you should focus on inbound marketing.
Guy Kawasaki (as attributed in the original)
Frequently asked questions
What was the Heinz AI Ketchup campaign?
It was an advertising campaign by Rethink for Kraft Heinz that asked the DALL·E 2 image model to draw ketchup in different scenes without naming a brand. The images still resembled Heinz, and the brand published them as ads and invited fans to make their own. Launch coverage dates from July 2022.
Which AI tool did Heinz use?
Heinz used DALL·E 2, OpenAI's image model at the time. Prompts were plain descriptions such as ketchup in space, ketchup as a superhero and a Renaissance painting of ketchup. No brand name was typed into the prompt, which is the whole point of the idea.
What results did the Heinz AI ketchup campaign get?
The campaign entry reports earned impressions worth more than 2,500% of the media spend, social engagement 38% above earlier campaigns, and coverage in Fast Company, Bloomberg, TechCrunch and Forbes. Impressions are reported as over 850 million in one source and over 1.15 billion in later ones. These are the entrants' own figures.
Can small brands copy the Heinz AI ketchup idea?
Not the result, but the method. Heinz relied on more than a century of consistent packaging and colour. A small brand should run the same test, see what the model produces for its category, and then build a distinctive visual or phrase that models and audiences can learn to associate with it.
How do I check whether AI mentions my brand?
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity the questions your customers ask, with no brand name in the prompt. Record whether your brand appears, where it ranks in the answer, the sentiment and which sources are cited. Repeat each prompt a few times and track the results monthly.
Do I need to disclose AI-generated advertising?
Often yes, depending on the platform and the law. YouTube asks creators to disclose realistic AI-generated content, Meta labels AI content on its platforms, and the EU AI Act sets transparency duties for synthetic media. Check the rules for each channel and market before you publish. This is not legal advice.
Is a Heinz-style AI test the same as AI brand visibility tracking?
It is the earliest well-known example of the idea. The Heinz test asked what a model produces for a generic prompt. AI visibility tools now automate similar checks across several answer engines and report mentions, citations and sentiment over time.