Tomato Ketchup Smoothie From Heinz, Smoothie King Turns Meme Into Strategy

Quick listen: Turning memes into measurable brand moments — here’s how Heinz did it, in under 2 minutes.

The internet asked, and Heinz responded.

After thousands of people questioned whether ketchup qualifies as a smoothie, since tomatoes are technically a fruit, the brand brought the debate to life.

The concept didn’t come out of nowhere.

Jacquelyn Parent, Creative Director at Rethink, told DesignRush the idea was born from the belief that Heinz owns the ketchup conversation on any platform.

“As global leaders in the category, any ketchup conversation is a HEINZ Ketchup conversation.

So when the internet asked, ‘If tomatoes are a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?’ we knew only HEINZ could give them the answer.”

Teaming up with Smoothie King, Heinz introduced a limited-time drink made with ketchup as a core ingredient.

The smoothie features Heinz Simply Ketchup, which contains only seven real ingredients, combined with:

• Açai sorbet
• Apple juice
• Strawberries
• Raspberries

The result is a cold, fruit-based drink with a light tomato zing that sets it apart from typical smoothie offerings.

Angie Madigan, Vice President of Elevation Marketing at Kraft Heinz, noted that the team focused first on taste.

“A ketchup smoothie sounds surprising, but the goal was always to create something enjoyable.

We worked closely with Smoothie King to get the balance just right.”

Available starting August 6 for $5.70, the smoothie launches just as tomato harvest season reaches its peak. 

It's available in select locations across five major U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, and Miami.

The Celebrity Smoothie Effect

This project followed months of taste testing and development between both companies.

For Smoothie King, the drink also reflects the company's Clean Blends philosophy, which eschews artificial flavors and preservatives in all menu offerings.

The strategy, however, wasn’t just about product development.

Today’s biggest tastemakers, from Hailey Bieber to Paris Hilton, have smoothies named after them.

For Heinz, the question wasn’t “why” but “why not us?”

If smoothie culture is now a badge of influence, the brand saw an opportunity to join the conversation on its own terms.

Rather than brushing off an online joke, Heinz treated it as a serious challenge.

With smoothies dominating both food trends and influencer culture, the brand stepped into the spotlight with a product grounded in curiosity and originality.

For marketers, the release offers a lesson in staying responsive without feeling reactive.

Heinz didn’t follow a trend; it followed a question.

Our Take: Should More Brands Treat Memes Like Product Briefs?

Absolutely. I see this not as a gimmick but as a sharp example of cultural awareness translated into product innovation.

If I were leading a brand with Heinz-level recognition, I’d view internet humor as a direct signal of what people are willing to explore, even if it starts as a joke.

This smoothie demonstrates how a well-timed idea, backed by real R&D, can reinforce a market position and appeal to new audiences without diluting the brand.

For me, it proves that staying relevant means knowing when a conversation deserves a punchline and when it deserves a product.

Heinz isn’t stopping with smoothies: its new Spicy Mustard BBQ sauce is heating up summer grills too.

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