The Pass the Heinz ad was actually created for the AMC’s tv show Mad Men. At the time, this ad was presented as the sole effort of Don Draper, the protagonist of the production, as he was trying to get the Heinz’s account. But in real life, it was actually a product placement for Heinz in Mad Men.
In 2017 though, not only Heinz has decided to actually use this fictional ad but it has also credited it to the character’s fictional firm, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, along with David Miami,it’s current agency. The ad was printed in Variety Magazine and could also be seen in New York’s billboards.
The great thing about this ad is that is simple and direct. You see an image of a single hamburger, a steak or a handful of fries, always with the same headline Pass the Heinz and suddenly it all makes sense. Sure, the food looks delicious, but isn’t there something missing?
The blank page around the food certainly leads us to think of what might be missing, but the magic is really done by the three magic words: pass the Heinz. Simple words that a kid can understand and relate. Forthright and timeless.
