Heinz and Sweden's MAX Burgers Try Weird Taste Tests

Heinz created a pickle ketchup in time for summer picnics and barbecues and hit the streets of NYC to ask consumers about the taste. The catch—no one actually tried the pickle ketchup they reviewed. Think of it as a “no taste, taste test.”

“You Can Already Taste It,” from Rethink, asks passersby to imagine what a pickle-flavored ketchup from Heinz would taste like. The pre-review reviews range from “magic” and” zesty” to “burgery” and the “best of all worlds.” Imagine their responses once they actually try it!

OOH ads throughout NYC and Chicago showcase the muse behind the new flavor—burgers. Partnerships on Instagram and TikTok begin with creators guessing what will pair best with the ketchup and ending with them making recipes to test their theories. Fans can add a pre-review of the product online.

Meanwhile, in Sweden, burger chain MAX took a swipe at McDonald’s, using former and current McD’s employees in a taste test for a revamped Big Mac. The catch: employees tasted the current Big Mac then MAX’s Big Classic, with the latter winning every time.

Awkward, especially hearing some pro-MAX remarks from McD’s peeps through pixelation.

The campaign, from Åkestam Holst NoA, will run on social media and online.