Global Media Network of the Year:
Carat
Gold
Creative Strategy
Partnership & Collaboration
| Entrant: | The Kitchen North America, Chicago |
| Brand: | Heinz Mustard |
| Title: | "Heinz Mustard x Mustard" |
| Corporate Name of Client: | Kraft Heinz |
| Client Company: | Kraft Heinz, Chicago |
| Chief Marketing Officer: | Todd Kaplan |
| Client Marketing Director: | Kaitlin Roe |
| Client Senior Brand Manager: | Keenan White |
| Client Company Vice President/General Manager: | Angie Madigan |
| Client Company Associate Director, Brand Communications: | Jamie Mack |
| Client Company Analyst, Marketing: | Grace Gallic |
| Client Company Director, North American Brand PR: | Jenna Thornton |
| Client Company Manager, North American Brand PR: | Ali Leiberman |
| Client Company Director, Media Connections Strategy & Investment: | Kaitlyn Murphy |
| Client Company Senior Manager, Media Connections Strategy & Investment: | Molly Kelsey |
| Client Company Associate, General Counsel: | Todd Grauel |
| Client Company Director, IMPACT: | Danielle Spikener |
| Client Company Senior Brand Manager, IMPACT: | Dominique Robinson |
| Media Company: | Carat, Chicago |
| PR Company: | Zeno, Chicago |
| Agency: | Cashmere, Los Angeles/The Kitchen North America, Chicago |
| In-House Company: | The Kitchen North America, Chicago |
| Agency President: | Tom Evans |
| Agency Executive Creative Director: | Simon Au |
| Agency Creative Director: | Daniel Szczepanek |
| Agency Associate Creative Director: | Andrew Bernardi |
| Agency Senior Copywriter: | Suzi Teddi Charles |
| Agency Copywriter: | Sean Kinton |
| Agency Social Copywriter: | Ruby Kenney |
| Agency Art Director: | Arman Sadrzadeh |
| Agency Head of Production: | Julie Benevides |
| Agency Senior Producer: | Dylan Thompson |
| Agency Producer: | Camille Suknovich |
| Agency Motion Designer: | Dan Corrigan |
| Agency Creative Content Lead: | Bayly Shelley |
| Agency Senior Account Director: | Kristi De Paul |
| Agency Head of Accounts: | Karin Carlisle |
| Agency Head of Strategy: | Kathleen Bokar |
| Agency Strategists: | Marcus Smith/Julianne San Antonio |
| Production Company: | MK Films, Chicago |
| Post-Production Company: | Goodbit Studios, Chicago |
| Color Company: | Rare Medium, Chicago |
| Sound Design Company: | Squeak E. Clean Studios, Chicago |
Cultural Context:
They want cultural fluency, relevance, and brands that move as fast as the internet. In early 2024, a viral diss track from Kendrick Lamar ignited a social media firestorm around the phrase “MUSTARD,” referencing producer Mustard—just days before the Grammys. Suddenly, a condiment and a cultural icon shared the same name.
We saw an opportunity not just to insert ourselves into culture, but to co-create a moment with it.
Traditional advertising wasn’t going to close the gap. The challenge: how do you relaunch Heinz Mustard in a way that feels earned, timely, and creatively bold—especially to an audience that doesn’t care about condiments?
In just days, we brokered a creative partnership that transformed Heinz Mustard into a co-authored brand experience. Mustard became Heinz’s first-ever Chief Mustard Officer, overseeing everything from bottle design to social voice. A new mustard-yellow bottle—designed by Mustard—was teased across his and Heinz’s social channels. A ketchup ad “hijacked” by Mustard’s signature yell aired on Grammy night. And at the Super Bowl, we made waves without a buy, hijacking real-time social conversation.
This wasn’t a one-off collab. It was an integrated, PR-led strategy driven by insight, speed, and true partnership.
324 media placements—with 75% using branded assets
99% positive/neutral sentiment
Top 2 most talked-about brands during Super Bowl (without spending a dollar on in-game media)
+138% social engagement vs. benchmark
+9.4% increase in Heinz Yellow Mustard sales YoY
Coverage in Ad Age, Complex, Hypebeast, Ebony, Fast Company, Billboard—and a parody on Saturday Night Live
Named a Billboard Top Brand Moment of the Grammys
A forgotten product became a viral sensation. All thanks to a bold cultural strategy, an unexpected partnership, and a creative idea too timely to ignore.