Heinz Gives Borderline Celebs 15 More Minutes of Fame

Lest you forget, Rebecca Black’s 2011 earworm “Friday” shook the interwebs to their core. The auto-tuned ode to partying on the weekend generated millions of plays, heaps of derision and even some praise (well, I liked it).

Black epitomizes Andy Warhol’s beyond trenchant observation that everyone would one day enjoy 15 minutes of fame. Now, she can savor “15 Minutes of Flavor,” too.

That’s because Heinz USA just launched three “limited-time” sauces with fringe stars whose time in the spotlight, apparently, hasn’t quite passed.

Rebecca’s in fine company, as you’ll see in the work below. Bad Luck Brian’s all grown up, but still rocks a tartan sweater with disturbing style. And—nerdplay alert—it looks like William Hung had a bang!

The campaign from agency The Kitchen recalls Uber One’s Super Bowl play with Diddy auditioning one-hit wonders like Ylvis, Kelis and Haddaway.

Sure, pop culture’s disposable. But these days, thanks to memes and endless screens—plus eager brands—it’s permanent, too.

“We know that Heinz inspires irrational love with our fans, and we found a parallel in the irrational love fans have for drop culture, and the lengths people will go in order to get their hands on the latest, limited-edition products,” Alyssa Cicero, brand manager, brand communications at Kraft Heinz N.A., tells Muse. “When picking the stars to partner with, we wanted a mix from the worlds of music, memes, and early internet culture.

It’s all about putting a modern spin on nostalgia, using social media and such to light up our rose-hued rear-views. We’re suckers for this stuff. It’s instantly familiar and comforting. It reminds us of a time when we had more hair!

We’ll take boy band vets. Lisa Loeb, Nas and Grimace. And don’t forget Snoop. (That Dogg’s everywhere.)

These days, 15 minutes of fame can last forever.