HIDDEN SPOTS
Open the game- Brand
- Heinz
- Year
- 2022
- Objective
- Engagement
- Industry
- Food & drink
- Agency
- GUT
Objective
Heinz Ketchup sought to build brand awareness and association with gaming culture in Brazil and Latin America, where competing local ketchup brands held market preference. The campaign capitalized on the insight that 80% of gamers eat and drink while playing, addressing this unmet need while targeting the rapidly growing gaming audience (266 million new gamers in 2021). The business objective was to lift both brand recognition and sales through a gaming partnership.
Solution
Heinz partnered with Activision to create a gaming activation that identified 150+ hidden 'safe zones' on the Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific Caldera map—out-of-bounds locations where players could briefly escape to eat without being eliminated by opponents. The campaign featured prominent Twitch and YouTube streamers (including Vikkstar123 with 7.45M YouTube subscribers, Rafael 'Rakin' Knittel, and bstrdd) who explored these spots during live broadcasts on December 17-19, 2021, eating burgers paired with custom-branded Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottles. Spot coordinates were printed on burger wrappers distributed to influencers, with burger vouchers offered as incentives. The campaign was amplified through a 30-second promotional video and social channels (TikTok, Twitter, Instagram), and later expanded to Fortnite, PUBG, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Results
The campaign generated 1.2 million YouTube views by February 17, 2022. Paid media reached 56.6 million impressions with 29,000 interactions, while earned media delivered 51 million impressions with 24,000 interactions, totaling more than 206 million impressions. The campaign earned 29.6k social media mentions and resulted in 150+ Hidden Spots mapped across games.
