How We Created Heinz’s Award-Winning Ad: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

The Heinz campaign remains one of the projects I am asked about most, so here is the full story behind it.

The Heinz campaign was my first taste of what advertising could achieve. I joined it as an intern and it went on to win a Cannes Silver Lion and take the cover of Archive Magazine.

Early in my career, as an intern, I had the chance to contribute to Heinz’s Award-Winning Ad, a project that would achieve unexpected success. What started as an opportunity to learn became a milestone moment: the campaign won a Cannes Silver Lion and even graced the cover of Archive Magazine.

This experience taught me the incredible power of creativity, collaboration, and storytelling in advertising. Seeing an idea I contributed to receive such recognition was humbling and inspiring, especially as I was just starting my journey in the industry.

The Creative Process behind Heinz’s Award-Winning Ad

For this campaign, the challenge was to blend humor and relatability into a narrative that showcased Heinz freshly and engagingly. As part of my role, I worked on character designs, sketches, and concept development, exploring different ways to bring the story to life.

I’m sharing here:

• Initial sketches that helped shape the visual identity of the campaign.
  
• The final Archive Magazine cover, which captured the campaign’s essence and celebrated its success.
  
• A montage of character design research I created during the project to refine the look and feel of the story.

Mother and Child: The Heart of the Campaign

The centerpiece of the Heinz campaign was a design titled Mother and Child, which depicted a heartwarming yet humorous scene of a mother dragon feeding her baby dragon with Spicy Ketchup. This concept perfectly captured the brand’s playful tone while showcasing its product in a memorable and creative way.

The idea originated from Leo Burnett Brussels, but I worked on the character design and concept development, and Daniel Da Silva, the matte painter on the project, spent months painting the final image. Despite a difficult lesson early in my career, when the producer wrongfully took credit for the work, the experience was invaluable. It highlighted the importance of standing firm in your creative contributions and learning to navigate the complexities of the industry.

The success of Mother and Child, which went on to win a Cannes Silver Lion and grace the cover of Archive Magazine, is a testament to the power of storytelling and creativity in advertising.

Key Takeaways

This project was a reminder that great ideas can come from anywhere. Even as an intern, I learned how important it is to bring your unique perspective and energy to the table. It also showed me the value of teamwork and how creative synergy can elevate a campaign beyond expectations. Overall despite the set back, this Heinz’s Award-Winning Ad showed me that anything is possible.

A Personal Milestone

Winning a Cannes Silver Lion and having my work featured in Archive Magazine was an incredible honor, but the valid reward was the experience itself. It taught me that even the most unexpected achievements are possible with dedication and a willingness to explore bold ideas.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, what’s a project or moment in your career that shaped your creative journey? Let’s connect and share!

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Heinz Mother and Child campaign?

Mother and Child was the centrepiece design of the campaign, showing a mother dragon feeding her baby dragon with Heinz Spicy Ketchup. It captured the brand’s playful tone while putting the product at the heart of the image.

Who created the Heinz Mother and Child design?

The idea originated at Leo Burnett Brussels. I worked on the character design, sketches and concept development. Daniel Da Silva was the matte painter, and he spent months painting the final image.

What was your role on the campaign?

I was an intern at the time and worked on character designs, sketches and concept development, exploring different ways to bring the story to life.

What awards did the Heinz campaign win?

It won a Cannes Silver Lion and appeared on the cover of Archive Magazine.

What was the hardest part of the experience?

A producer wrongfully took credit for the work. It was a difficult lesson early on, and it taught me to stand firm about my creative contributions and to understand how credit actually works in the industry.

References: Cannes Lions · Lurzer’s Archive

What made the Heinz campaign successful?

The Heinz campaign worked because the concept was simple and the craft behind it was not. A mother dragon feeding her baby Spicy Ketchup carries the product without explaining it, and months of matte painting gave the image the quality it needed to travel.

Where can I see the Heinz campaign artwork?

The original sketches, the character design research and the Archive Magazine cover from the Heinz campaign are all shown above in this post.