skills/creative-director/references/legendary-campaigns/cards/heinz-ketchup-fraud-2023.md

---
id: heinz-ketchup-fraud-2023
title: "Ketchup Fraud"
brand: Heinz
agency: Rethink Canada
year: 2023
country: Global
region: global
industry: cpg
pattern: [P09, P11]
category: social
idea_type: campaign
involvement: user_co_author
channel: digital
duration: campaign
goal: [engagement, advocacy, awareness]
budget: low
emotion: [ironic, proud]
emotion_tier: 2
insight_domain: identity
media_epoch: social
awards: [cannes_gold, multiple]
quality_score: 8
scalability: universal
risk: edgy
confidence: high
quality: full
source_url: https://www.dandad.org/awards/professional/2023/237531/heinz-fraud-ketchup/
---

# Ketchup Fraud (Heinz · 2023)

## Insight
Restaurants routinely refill Heinz bottles with cheaper generic ketchup — a widespread deception that Heinz fans instinctively detect and resent, but which has never been named publicly.

## Mechanic
Heinz ran a campaign inviting consumers to post evidence of "ketchup fraud" — restaurants caught refilling Heinz bottles with other brands — turning customers into brand detectives and social media became the enforcement mechanism.

## Why it worked
The campaign weaponized existing consumer behaviour (noticing the fraud) by giving it a name, a platform, and a sense of righteous mission. The brand's existing fanbase did the work; Heinz supplied the frame.

## Steal
Find the behaviour your most loyal customers are already doing privately and give it a public name, a hashtag, and a platform. Naming the behaviour creates community; community creates content; content creates reach.

## Related
- Pattern: [[../MOC-pattern.md#p09]]
- Sibling: [[red-bull-stratos-2012.md|Stratos]]
- Sibling: [[snickers-hungerithm-2016.md|Hungerithm]]

---

*Author: Serge Shima ([t.me/aimastersme](https://t.me/aimastersme) · [sergeshima.com](https://sergeshima.com) · [aimasters.me](https://aimasters.me)) · License: CC BY 4.0 — attribution required · Source: [smixs/creative-director-skill](https://github.com/smixs/creative-director-skill)*