How Heinz Leveraged DALL·E 2 AI to Reinforce Brand Dominance and Drive Viral Marketing

By: GoBeyond Team

July 3, 2025

3 min read

Heinz AI-generated ketchup artwork showing iconic bottle shapes

Quick Overview

Heinz used OpenAI’s DALL·E 2 to generate AI artwork depicting ketchup in various creative contexts without explicit brand prompts. The AI consistently produced images resembling Heinz’s iconic bottle, demonstrating strong brand association and dominance. The campaign engaged audiences with AI-generated visuals, social media interaction, and fan participation, reinforcing Heinz as the definitive ketchup brand.

Heinz Ketchup (Kraft Heinz)

Company Size

~38,000 employees (Kraft Heinz)

Revenue Range

$30B+ annual revenue (Kraft Heinz)

Primary Challenge

Refreshing brand image and engaging younger, tech-savvy audiences through innovative AI marketing

Key Metrics

\- Over 850 million earned media impressions globally\- 38% higher social media engagement rate than previous campaigns\- 2,500% ROI on media investment\- Multiple marketing awards including D&D Awards 2023 and One Show 2023

The Problem

Traditional marketing needed innovation to connect with Millennials and Gen Z while affirming brand leadership

The Solution

Employed DALL·E 2 to create unique AI-generated ketchup images from creative prompts; integrated visuals into digital ads, social media, print, and metaverse art galleries; invited fan-generated AI content participation

Results

\- Viral marketing success with massive global reach\- Strengthened brand association with ketchup category\- Elevated brand relevance among younger consumers\- High media and public engagement