Heinz, Absolut cook up limited-edition vodka pasta sauce

Dive Brief:

• Kraft Heinz partnered with Pernod Ricard brand Absolut Vodka to launch a limited-edition tomato vodka pasta sauce this week in the U.K., according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
• An accompanying campaign from Wunderman Thompson Spain draws inspiration from 1980s Absolut ads built around the simple silhouette of the brand’s vodka bottle while also including a Heinz spin. The campaign will feature out-of-home (OOH) elements in London, along with a social media push based around the hashtag #AbsolutelyHeinz.
• The collaboration comes a year after the condiment maker released its first pasta sauce. Heinz has taken several steps to broaden its lineup, including with the launch of a line of higher-end sauces and spreads.

Dive Insight:

Kraft Heinz partnering with vodka brand Absolut shows the condiment maker continuing its recent embrace of foodie culture while adding a dash of nostalgia. The sauce is part of Kraft Heinz’s Taste Elevation platform, which is an ongoing strategy focused on associating the brand with flavors found in premium foods. In the U.S., Kraft Heinz recently partnered with hospitality company Ennismore to promote its Heinz 57 line, which contains ingredients such as hot honey and black truffle. Going forward, Kraft Heinz is looking to expand the strategy worldwide, per details shared with Marketing Dive. 

Heinz and Absolut are both well known brands, which could help drive sales for the new sauce, while the supporting campaign offers an opportunity to play into consumer interest in ‘80s-related nostalgia, as evidenced by the popularity of media like the Netflix show “Stranger Things.” 

The partnership with Absolut builds from the vodka brand’s iconic ‘80s advertising that frequently showcased imagery built around the bottle’s simple silhouette and equally simple copy, such as “Absolute Perfection.” The new campaign puts the new sauce bottle front and center and features the silhouette of an Absolut bottle nearby. The copy employs taglines such as, “Absolutely Heinz. Ridiculously Good” and “Absolutely Foodie. Ridiculously Good.” On the Absolut website, visitors can see the campaign along with suggestions for accompanying cocktails, underscoring the brand’s positioning around using its vodka in cocktails. 

The limited-edition collaboration between the two brands represents both an increased desire to enter into the elevated food space, while also maintaining a sense of fun. The bottles will be available at Waitrose as well as online for a limited time. Other flavors in the existing Heinz pasta sauce lineup include Tomato Sauce for Bolognese, Tomato & Lentil Ragu Pasta Sauce and Tomato, Grana Padano and Mascarpone Pasta Sauce. All are available in the U.K.