After making a move into yellow mustard last year, Heinz is pushing out of its ketchup category this year by launching into more controversial territory – barbecue sauce. Don’t they know wars have been fought over less? Vinegar? Sweet? Spicy?
But Pittsburgh-based Heinz wasn’t born yesterday. The company enlisted the help of some regional barbecue pitmasters to come up with five different offerings – Kansas City Sweet & Smoky,Memphis Sweet & Spicy, Texas Bold & Spicy, Carolina Tangy Vinegar, and Heinz Classic Sweet & Thick.
Heinz BBQ sauces are a collection of regional sauces developed with five pitmaster partners using 100 percent natural, locally-inspired ingredients and recipes.
“As interest in barbecue continues to grow across the country, people are becoming more aware that different regions have different styles of sauce, but we know that a lot of consumers are reluctant to try a sauce from a brand they don’t know and trust,” said Jessica Ryan, director of marketing at The Kraft Heinz Company. “Our new line of BBQ sauces will make it easier for people to explore these flavors, because they combine the BBQ expertise and passion of top pitmasters with the trust and experience of Heinz.”
The launch of Heinz’s new BBQ Sauces is supported by a new campaign, “Pitmasters, not Spokespeople,” which features the Heinz Pitmaster Partners: Joe and Mike Pearce (Kansas City), Dan Brown (Memphis), Robert Sierra (Texas) and Sam Jones (Carolina). As part of the campaign, the TV commercial showcases the delicious new BBQ sauces alongside the real pitmasters who partnered with Heinz on each of them.
In a blooper-reel style spot, viewers see that while these pitmasters are masters at perfecting delicious-tasting, authentic BBQ sauces, they may not be masters of being traditional “spokespeople.” Heinz tapped DAVID Miami for the campaign. www.davidtheagency.com/
To view the videos:
A rundown of the sauces from the press release:
Texas Style Bold & Spicy BBQ Sauce: In Texas, there’s nothing shy about barbeque, and a great Texas style sauce means bold flavors and big personality. That’s why Heinz teamed up with Robert Sierra, Pitmaster of the Texas State Grand Champion S&S Pit Crew competition BBQ team from San Marcos, Texas. This sauce captures the very best of Texas barbeque — combining spices like cumin and chili powder for a sauce that’s bold and flavorful with just the right kick.
Kansas City Style Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauce: Rooted in generations of barbeque tradition, great Kansas City style barbeque is a perfect balance of thick, sweet and tangy. Heinz teamed up with Kansas City natives and award-winning Pitmasters, Joe and Mike Pearce, to craft a Kansas City style sauce that is a mouthwatering blend of that sweet and smoky deliciousness that the region is known for.
Memphis Style Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce: From the birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll, the tradition of Memphis barbeque is rich and sweet with a pop of spice. To create a truly great Memphis style barbeque sauce, Heinz teamed up with Dan Brown of Memphis’ own Leonard’s PIT Barbeque — a barbeque institution since 1922. With sweet brown sugar and the flavors of the region’s traditional dry rubs, this is a sweet and spicy sauce that’s sure to be a favorite.
Carolina Vinegar Style Tangy BBQ Sauce: Real Carolina barbeque is all about the deep-rooted traditions of whole-hog barbeque slow cooked over wood coals. Heinz teamed up with third-generation pitmaster Sam Jones, of the legendary Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, North Carolina to craft a true Carolina style sauce that blends the distinctive tang of apple cider with the just right bit of sweet and spice to make it the perfect addition to your favorite pulled pork.
Classic Sweet & Thick BBQ Sauce: The traditions of barbeque in America run deep – and a great sauce can make all the difference. That’s why the Heinz Barbeque team has traveled the country and done our homework with some of the nation’s top Pitmasters to bring you a sauce that captures the real flavors of American barbeque. This sauce is a true classic -sweet, thick, deliciously balanced, 100% natural, and sure to please!
All five of the New Heinz BBQ sauces come in Heinz’s iconic, upside-down squeezable bottle and are available at major retailers nationwide in 20oz bottles with a suggested retail price of $2.49. Heinz also offers a “Pitmaster Collection” Sampler 4-Pack that features 11oz sampler bottles of the Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and Carolina sauces.
For more information and to Meet the Masters, visit www.HeinzBBQ.com