Need proof this is Taylor Swift’s world and we’re just living in it? Look no further than Heinz.
The condiment giant has announced plans to release a limited-edition “Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch” sauce after internet speculation that the singer enjoyed chicken fingers with both ketchup and ranch dressing options at last Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs game.
Mind you, those reports came not from Swift’s camp or any official source, but from a random fan site’s tweet.
Heinz plans to release 100 bottles of the fusion of the two flavors (something, we should note, that Swift did not seem to do). Details about the giveaway were not announced, but fans can keep an eye on the company’s Instagram page for information on how to snag one.
The punch line to all of this is—this really isn’t a new product for Heinz. The company has been selling what it calls Kranch in stores since 2019. This is simply a relabeling of that sauce to appeal to Swift fans. And it’s working.
“Well played Heinz! I’m loyal to your ketchup, but not a ranch fan until now!” wrote one commenter on Instagram. “As a diehard Swiftie, I will be trying! As long as you aren’t putting Ticketmaster in charge of this sale!”
Swift’s appearance at Sunday’s Chiefs game sparked all sorts of talk, as fans began discussing the possibility the singer could be dating tight end Travis Kelce, something neither has confirmed. The downtime for the star came after her record-setting Eras Tour, which has grossed well over $1 billion this year (and has even been mentioned in reports from the Federal Reserve). A filmed version of the concert is on track to make more than $100 million in its first weekend when it opens next month.
Look what you made them do
Heinz isn't the only brand trying to latch onto the trend-driven consumer spending wave. Companies are increasingly adapting their marketing strategies to appeal to pop culture moments and sometimes bizarre trends.
Take Panera Bread, for example. The fast-food restaurant chain launched a "Roman Empire" menu on Tuesday in a seemingly hasty response to the viral social media trend in which women ask men how often they think about the Roman Empire. (The answer is a lot, apparently.) But as with Heinz's relabeling stunt, none of the items on Panera's menu were new. Instead, it featured classics like broccoli cheddar soup and macaroni and cheese.
The power of these trends was realized in McDonald's second-quarter earnings when it saw its sales rise over 11% with the help of the Grimace shake trend. In horror movie fashion, TikTokers would take a sip of the berry-flavored milkshake before pretending to writhe in agony and suffer gruesome fake deaths.
McDonald's social media director revealed in a LinkedIn post that the dark trend wasn't planted by the company, and credited the success to the “brilliant creativity, unfiltered fun, peak absurdist Gen Z humor” and “the way a new generation of creators and consumers play with brands.”
