CASE 149 / Heinz / Kraft Heinz / 2021
Draw Ketchup → A.I. Ketchup
Reveal a distinctive brand association through a transparent creative prompt, while keeping the evidence claim narrower than the entertainment.
AI-assisted research and analysis for the SNS Creative Fieldbook; published by SNS Media Tech. No named human reviewer is claimed.
Sources reviewed 2026-11-05
Campaign credits belong to the original creators. They did not write or endorse this analysis.
Credits: Rethink with Kraft Heinz. The One Show credits Carat and The Colony Project for the original; Carat, Starcom, Middle Child and Zeno Group for the AI extension.
Recognition: 2021 One Show Merit, Direct Marketing: Data-Driven Personalization; 2023 One Show Merit, Experiential & Immersive: Use of Technology.
Launch / edition: 2021. Award years: 2021, 2023.
The problem. The idea. The experience.
Heinz and Rethink wanted to renew the connection between the category word ketchup and the brand’s distinctive bottle. The original campaign asked people to draw the category without naming Heinz. Selected drawings became a demonstration of the association the brand wanted to reinforce.
How the idea came to life
On 21 January 2021, Kraft Heinz Canada invited people to submit drawings for customised bottles. In July 2022 the idea extended to DALL-E 2 images prompted with ketchup-related descriptions. A brand spokesperson explicitly described the AI version as an extension, so both belong to one family here.
How it reached people
The original used drawings in advertising and a Canadian participation offer. The AI iteration invited social prompt suggestions and used generated images in creative and special bottle labels. Its award entry identifies Canada and the United States as the original launch markets.
Supporting sources: Primary brand release via wire → Primary award archive → Primary agency portfolio → Contemporary agency-supplied campaign account with brand quote → Primary award archive with entrant metrics →
Read the data in context.
The numbers below describe different kinds of outcomes. Their date, scope and reporting source are part of the result.
The opened One Show records list Merits in 2021 and 2023. The AI entry reports social engagement 38 percent above past campaigns, but does not publish a comparable baseline or causal design. Neither selected drawings nor generated outputs establish universal category ownership.
The creative mechanism.
Category association made visible
Ask a simple question that reveals a distinctive asset
A category prompt can expose which shapes, colours or names people remember without showing them a logo first. Use the result diagnostically before using it publicly. A lesser-known brand might discover weak or inconsistent associations, which is valuable input for design and distribution rather than a failed campaign to conceal.
Keep the strategic question stable while changing the medium
The human drawing and AI extension share an underlying proposition but use different cultural contexts. That continuity gives an established idea another expression without counting every tool change as a new strategy. For adaptation, state the enduring question first, then decide whether a new medium genuinely reveals something interesting about it.
Do not confuse an entertaining demonstration with research
Selected participants are not a representative population, and an image model is not a consumer panel. Prompt wording, training data, output selection and version all influence generated imagery. Publish methods and limitations if making research claims; otherwise describe the work as a curated creative experiment rather than proof of what everyone thinks.
Let contribution create a visible, bounded outcome
Turning a drawing or suggested prompt into an object gives participation a concrete destination. Set clear selection criteria, permissions and credit, then show contributors what happened. Avoid asking for unlimited free creative labour, and do not suggest that submission guarantees a prize, publication or ownership of a commercially used asset.
The intended behavior loop
- 01Answer neutral prompt
- 02Inspect association
- 03Improve consistent brand cues
Growth job: Awareness → Product understanding → Community participation. This is an interpretation of the mechanism, not an audited attribution model.
A direction to take into the room.
Original editorial interpretation and proposed adaptation. This is a proposed adaptation, not historical campaign execution or a forecast.
The transferable principle
Reveal a distinctive brand association through a transparent creative prompt, while keeping the evidence claim narrower than the entertainment.
Keep these boundaries
Do not present cherry-picked drawings or AI outputs as representative market research, or imply artificial intelligence prefers a product.
Turn the lesson into a test.
Illustrative adaptation, not a historical campaign fact
A small-team experiment
A small retailer runs a private, consented visual-memory exercise with twenty adult customers and noncustomers before redesigning its packaging.
Build the test
- Ask the same neutral category question without revealing the sponsor until the exercise ends.
- Keep every response and record recruitment limits; do not select only flattering examples.
- Use findings internally, or obtain separate permission and fair credit for any public creative use.
Measure the right thing
Code recalled colours, shapes and names consistently, treating this as qualitative exploration rather than a population estimate.
Know when to stop
Stop public claims if recruitment, consent or output selection cannot be explained honestly.
How this reading fits your brief
Start with the useful part.
Best for: Awareness → Product understanding → Community participation
What to adapt: Reveal a distinctive brand association through a transparent creative prompt, while keeping the evidence claim narrower than the entertainment.
Prerequisites: Neutral research design; Participant permissions; Clear AI disclosure.
Smaller-team route: A small retailer runs a private, consented visual-memory exercise with twenty adult customers and noncustomers before redesigning its packaging.
Budget: Not established by the opened evidence. No cost-fit claim is made.
Trade-offs and evidence: Read the limits below before choosing a test. There is no guaranteed reach, sales lift or ROAS.
Questions for your next brief
Sources & further reading.
Brand and award-entry results are attributed claims, not independent causal audits. Source links open the original third-party pages.
- Kraft Heinz Canada: Draw Ketchup invitation →Primary brand release via wire · Supports: 21 January 2021 Canadian participation launch and customised bottles.
- The One Show: Draw Ketchup →Primary award archive · Supports: Original objective, international exercise, credits and 2021 Merit.
- Rethink: Heinz Draw Ketchup →Primary agency portfolio · Supports: Original creative premise and advertising presentation.
- LBB: Heinz asks AI to Draw Ketchup →Contemporary agency-supplied campaign account with brand quote · Supports: 27 July 2022 public documentation; brand identifies AI as an iteration of Draw Ketchup.
- The One Show: A.I. Ketchup →Primary award archive with entrant metrics · Supports: Canada/US launch, DALL-E 2 prompt participation, labels, 38 percent comparative engagement and 2023 Merit.
Independent educational analysis of external campaigns. These are not SNS client projects, endorsements or claims of involvement. Campaign facts and reported outcomes are attributed to their sources. Explanations, adaptations and test plans are original analysis and hypotheses, not proven causal findings.