Campaign from Wunderman Thompson Spain pays homage to iconic Absolut ads with a Heinz twist

Posted on 2023 Mar,23

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Campaign from Wunderman Thompson Spain pays homage to iconic Absolut ads with a Heinz twist

A year since launching their first ever Pasta Sauce that was ‘Ridiculously Late’ to the market (but ‘Ridiculously Good’), Kraft Heinz New Ventures announces one of the most unexpected partnerships of the year.

Heinz has teamed up with premium vodka brand Absolut Vodka to make the dreams of Pasta alla Vodka lovers come true, launching the UK’s first tomato vodka pasta sauce in a limited-edition launch unveiled today.

The much-loved recipe is launching to the masses in a campaign devised by Wunderman Thompson Spain.

Inspired by quintessential Absolut adverts from 1980, the campaign pays homage to iconic ads from the vodka brand with a Heinz twist, with different executions featuring the taglines: ‘Absolutely Heinz. Ridiculously Good’, ‘Absolutely Tomato. Ridiculously Good’, ‘Absolutely Pasta. Ridiculously Good’, and ‘Absolutely Foodie. Ridiculously Good’.

Caio Fontenele, Heinz New Ventures Director, said: “While it may have taken over 150 years of tomato expertise to launch our first Heinz pasta sauce, we’re determined to continue innovating and delighting consumers at the speed of social media trends. We are thrilled with the partnership between these two centenary brands, bringing the first tomato vodka pasta sauce to major UK supermarkets. The iconic combination of Heinz’s high-quality tomato sauces and Absolut’s premium vodka is set to offer fans the ultimate Pasta alla Vodka experience. And the result is absolutely delicious!”

Of the launch, Leanne Banks, Marketing Director, Pernod Ricard UK, said: “It’s only natural that we’d partner with Heinz on this ultimate collaboration between two iconic brands, with two iconic bottles. As the UK’s no.1 premium vodka, Absolut was Born to Mix, whether that’s in delicious drinks or fun food combinations and Heinz x Absolut Tomato Vodka Pasta Sauce is a match made in heaven. Now fans of our brand can enjoy Absolut in an entirely new and innovative way, Pasta alla Vodka style!”

The campaign has rolled out via OOH placements across London, as well as wildposting at various locations in the UK capital. A social media campaign will follow later this week with posts on Heinz and Absolut’s channels featuring the hashtag, #AbsolutelyHeinz.

Paco Badia, Executive Creative Director for Wunderman Thompson Spain added: “This a very exciting launch for us, as we’ve had the opportunity to pay homage to one of the most recognisable campaigns of all time – the Absolut adverts from the early 1980s. In fact, the bestselling Absolut Book, which delves into the thinking and strategy behind the campaign, has provided creative inspiration throughout my professional career, long before we started working on this project. It’s a privilege to be able to honour such an iconic campaign, and I would like to think that Richard W. Lewis, author of the book and creator of that campaign, would approve the latest iteration to celebrate this exciting collaboration between two of the world’s leading food brands.”

This collaboration is the latest example of Kraft Heinz’s transformation. The Company is expanding its capabilities and entering new categories through unexpected collaborations with cutting-edge innovators and brands that aim to redefine best-in-class and lead the future of food. It follows the launch of Heinz first ever range of Pasta Sauces a year ago with a campaign by Wunderman Thompson Spain, apologising to the British public and Heinz’ founder, Henry Heinz, for not creating the pasta sauce they deserve – until now.

Credits:

Brand: Kraft Heinz

Campaign: Heinz x Absolut Vodka

Client: Kraft Heinz New Ventures

New Ventures Managing Director: Caio Fontenele

New Ventures Head of Platform: Alessandra Sega

New Ventures Senior Growth Manager: Riddhi Shah

Heinz Team: Alexandra Bayet, Isabel Oliver

Creative agency: Wunderman Thompson Spain

Chief Client Officer: Jose Maria Piera

General Creative Direction: David Caballero

Executive creative direction: Pipo Virgós, Paco Badia