Heinz drives saucy stats with performance-driven storytelling

Goal

When it comes to culinary staples, Heinz is a household name. Its sauces are iconic, its branding instantly recognisable. But being iconic means more than a strong legacy—it calls for bold creative moves and forward-thinking strategies. To stay at the forefront, even the most established brands need to look for new ways to show up, engage and inspire.

The Heinz team saw an opportunity: to reintroduce the brand to a new wave of food lovers—while reminding loyal fans that no meal is truly complete without a splash of their signature flavour.

To do that, Heinz set out to expand their reach and drive awareness for their sauces. The team wanted to show up on a platform that aligned with their values—one rooted in food discovery, where they could connect with audiences in a highly engaged mindset, and without compromising on brand safety. Pinterest stood out as the perfect fit: with 40% of Pinterest users searching for food in the UK; users arrive with intent—to explore new flavours, plan recipes, and discover products that elevate everyday dishes—all within a positive environment.²

Strategy

Heinz activated a strategy on Pinterest for their “It has to be Heinz!” campaign—spanning Video Views, a Search Spotlight takeover, an Editorial Sponsorship, and Pinterest Performance+ targeting to engage audiences at the moment inspiration struck and cravings kicked in. But this was more than a video play—it was about sparking desire, and teasing tastebuds and imaginations.

The campaign brought Heinz’s sauces to life through rich visuals and serving inspiration, turning everyday meals into craveable moments food lovers could easily recreate.

To maximise visibility, Heinz took over Pinterest’s Search Feed with a Spotlight placement—ensuring they appeared at the top of one of Pinterest’s most powerful discovery placements. They also became the exclusive sponsor of Secret Sauces, a curated editorial moment rooted in “Epic Recipes”. For a brand so synonymous with flavour, dedicating a full week of inspiration to their sauces felt like a natural fit.

The campaign targeted all users in the UK, with Pinterest Performance+ enabled to deliver scale and precision across the funnel. Pinterest’s ability to reach high-intent audiences during key planning moments made it ideal for Heinz to combine brand storytelling while supercharging performance.

And Pinterest provided more than just the right audience—it offered the right environment too. With shared values on positivity and trust, Pinterest gave Heinz the perfect setting to stir up appetite and action—connecting with people in meaningful, inspiring ways, all within a brand-safe, feel-good space. New findings in a US study from media intelligence firm MAGNA show that ads in environments people perceive as positive can help drive better results. Compared to non-positive spaces, platforms perceived as positive can be up to 94% more impactful in driving purchase intent.¹

Working side by side with Dentsu, their continued partnership fuelled bold moves. Simon Turner, Paid Media Account Manager at Dentsu shared that “Pinterest allowed us a greater ability to be creative in our approach to this campaign, utilising a Premiere Spotlight alongside our standard Engagement campaign and organic editorial. This campaign format proved to be a consummate success, with our Engagement and Viewer Retention metrics far exceeding our initial forecast, while secondary objectives such as Impressions and Reach were also able to come in ahead of our targets. It is clear Pinterest was the perfect platform for this campaign!”. With the combination of creativity, high-intent audiences, and strong performance metrics, the partnership underscored how Pinterest can drive real business impact when agencies and brands work together.

Results

Heinz achieved remarkable results. The video strategy delivered across the board, exceeding expectations with a viewability rate of over 65%—nearly double the benchmark. Video completion rates reached over 53%, beating the initial forecast, all while the campaign maintained an exceptionally low cost per completed view—maximising the brand’s media budget.

The Editorial Sponsorship also sparked impressive engagement. Across the week, Secret Sauces saw article impressions climb into the millions—with a 1,172% increase compared to the organic editorial benchmark from the same quarter in the previous year. On the day of the sponsorship alone, impressions surged by 676% year over year, while article opens saw a 408% uplift—proving that pairing cultural relevance with the right creative strategy on Pinterest was a recipe for success.

By showing up where food inspiration begins, Heinz didn’t just reach a new wave of food lovers—they reignited their role in everyday mealtime moments. For marketers hungry for performance, Pinterest delivers at every stage of the funnel—and serves up extra tasty results.

Resources

Premiere Spotlight

With a bold Premiere Spotlight placement, Heinz maximised visibility in one of Pinterest’s most premium advertising placements. Learn how you can also make a splash and amplify your brand message. Reserve your spot.

Pinterest Performance+

Heinz used Pinterest’s Performance+ targeting to reach the right audiences with precision—delivering scale and efficiency across the funnel. Learn how this automated solution can help you optimise and maximise results. Unlock full-funnel success.