Turning Cultural Conversations Into Brand Icons • Elevating Heinz Mustard Through Real-Time Brand Participation

Heinz Mustard has long played a supporting role in the Heinz brand universe, overshadowed by the iconic Heinz Ketchup. Our challenge was to position Heinz Mustard as a culturally relevant and engaging brand—particularly with younger, diverse audiences—breaking through the noise of consumer indifference and establishing it as a conversation-worthy icon. So when Kendrick Lamar turned the word “mustard” into a viral catchphrase, we knew what we had to do.

We took a culture-driven marketing approach, tapping into the conversations around music and entertainment, creating an authentic and organic campaign that resonated with modern audiences. During a pivotal cultural moment in 2024—the Kendrick Lamar and Drake rap feud—Kendrick’s now-viral “MUSTAAAAAARD” shout catapulted renowned producer Mustard (Dijon McFarlane) into the spotlight. We meticulously tracked social chatter and music trends, quickly devising a plan to capitalize on this sudden surge in relevance. Seizing the moment, we united Heinz Mustard with Mustard in a first-of-its-kind collaboration: Mustard X Mustard.

We kicked off at the Grammy Awards with a disruptive TV spot that transformed a ketchup ad into a “Mustaaaaard”-powered celebration, airing it moments after Mustard’s own Grammy win. Leading up to the Super Bowl, we doubled down by naming Mustard as Heinz’s Chief Mustard Officer, launching DOOH billboards in Inglewood, and releasing exclusive content and remixes online. On game day, we capitalized on real-time engagement with hashtags, memes, and custom content, embedding Heinz Mustard in the Super Bowl conversation without buying a traditional ad spot.

Our media strategy prioritized essential culture-defining and multicultural publications, driving a ripple effect into mainstream national press. The Mustard X Mustard campaign smashed objectives across the board, transforming perceptions and cementing Heinz Mustard’s place in culture. Social conversations surged, with thousands of mentions and millions engaged. The brand achieved unparalleled visibility during key cultural moments, trending hashtags, and meme-worthy content. Most importantly, this organic, authentic participation drove fresh brand love and positioned Heinz Mustard as a modern cultural player. We proved that when brands engage with culture authentically and leverage the right celebrity partnerships, they can inspire conversation at scale.

Following the cultural takeover at the Grammys and Super Bowl, we kept the conversation alive with smart, timely extensions that pushed Heinz Mustard even deeper into culture. We tapped relevant partners like Buffalo Wild Wings to create cross‑channel moments that connected the collab to real‑life flavor experiences, while ongoing collaborations with influencers and Mustard’s own social presence ensured fans stayed engaged well past the initial hype. We deliberately framed each phase to lead audiences from the tease to the taste, to the drop, a narrative arc that built anticipation and participation across organic conversation, earned media, and paid amplification. This momentum culminated in the ultimate product launch in late July, as the Heinz Chipotle Honey Mustaaaaaard became available for purchase at Walmart.com, Amazon and Target. where curiosity transformed into trial, driving both cultural relevance and real‑world ongoing sales.