Iconic Heinz ad was actually pitched by Don Draper in Mad Men

Sometimes life really does imitate art, with Heinz once launching a major marketing campaign based on an idea pitched by Don Draper, a fictional character in the revered AMC series, Mad Men.

Heinz Ketchup, which some will argue should be stored in the fridge, rather than the cupboard, has been a mealtime staple for 150 years.

And whether you like to use it to dunk your fries, coat mouthwatering BBQ burgers, or flavour your favourite fast-fooditems, you cannot deny how good it tastes.

There have been some iconic Heinz Ketchup adverts over the years. Who could forget the legendary 1979 clip set to Carly Simon’s ‘Anticipation’?

Another recent addition to the arsenal is ‘The A Team’ singer Ed Sheeran pulling out a bottle of the good stuff in a fancy restaurant back in 2019.

Ed Sheeran was the face of a Heinz Ketchup advert in 2019 (The Kraft Heinz Company)

Another ad launched almost ten years ago was a billboard featuring three words: ‘Pass the Heinz’.

But did you know that an episode of Mad Men, the beloved American period drama, inspired this?

Don Draper’s Mad Men Heinz pitch

In the fourth episode of Mad Men’s sixth, titled ‘To Have and To Hold’, protagonist Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) and his former protégée Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) go head-to-head on a Heinz Ketchup pitch.

Draper and Stan Rizzo (Jay R. Ferguson) present three minimalist billboards to the room: one depicting crinkle chips, what appeared to be a piece of steak on a fork in the second, and the final had a picture-perfect cheeseburger stuck on it.

Don Draper's 'Pass The Heinz' pitch did not go down well in the show (AMC)

“It’s simple and it’s tantalisingly incomplete,” the creative director said. “What’s missing? One thing.”

Draper then lifted a transparent plastic sheet over the three items bearing the words ‘Pass the HEINZ’.

Unfortunately, the clients rejected his simple campaign, calling it ‘half an ad’.

Peggy’s ‘Heinz. The Only Ketchup’ pitch was also frozen out, with the brand opting instead to work with the much larger advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson.

When Heinz Baked Beans finds out, SCDP (Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce) is finally fired as its advertising firm.

Peggy's pitch wasn't selected either, with Heinz executives going with a rival firm (AMC)

Heinz eventually made the pitch a reality

Four years after the Mad Men episode - set 50 years earlier - premiered, real-life advertising agency DAVID Miami managed to convince Heinz bosses to bring the ‘Draper’s idea’ to the masses.

Mashed reported at the time that the condiment brand ran billboards and ads based on the Madison Avenue exec’s iconic idea, featuring food close-up shots with the slogan ‘Pass the Heinz’.

A real-life ad firm brought the campaign to life in 2017 (The Kraft Heinz Company)

The campaign, co-credited to SCDP, was apparently selected because it was ‘clever, modern and [didn’t] require paragraphs of copy to convey what Heinz brings to the table, as per the company, as reported by Deadline.

“Whether it’s fries without Heinz ketchup or hot dogs without Heinz mustard, this campaign perfectly captures the desire for great-tasting Heinz products with America’s favorite foods,” the (real) company said.

SCDP was co-credited for 'creating' the campaign (The Kraft Heinz Company)

In a press release, Heinz mentioned that the fictional ad agency was a ‘full-service’ company ‘located in New York, working with clients in a variety of industries including automotive, health care, consumer products, food and other packaged goods.

It added that the faux firm did not ‘accept any tobacco-related work’.