Marketing maven Todd Kaplan, who left PepsiCo last month after a 17-year run at the food and beverage giant, has announced his new role as CMO of Kraft Heinz North America.
Kaplan will be leading a $22 billion portfolio of legacy brands including Heinz, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Oscar Mayer, Velveeta, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Lunchables, Ore-Ida, Capri Sun, Cool Whip, Maxwell House and Kool-Aid, among others, per his LinkedIn post.
As he works to “shape and redefine the future of food,” Kaplan said he will also oversee Kraft Heinz’s joint ventures with plant-based startup NotCo and European-born condiment maker Just Spices.
Kraft Heinz has been on “an exciting transformation journey over the past few years, with an unwavering belief that creativity and innovation can truly transform and accelerate their business,” Kaplan said in his post. His goal is to “unleash the potential of these incredible brands through elevated creativity, a deeper connection to culture and best-in-class marketing, media and digital capabilities that can fuel the company’s next wave of growth.”
A creative roll
Kaplan steps into a role last filled by Diana Frost, who was promoted to global chief growth officer in November.
Kraft Heinz, via a number of agencies, has been on a creative tear lately in the U.S. and other territories. Heinz, specifically, grabbed attention for its first global campaign in 150 years and its largest media investment to date.
Subsequent efforts included a cheeky ketchup insurance policy, an ode to “The Wait” for the right condiment at a meal, and interactive billboards in Chicago that dispensed ketchup packets when smacked.
Meantime, a broader campaign called “Taste Some Play Everyday” promoted Capri Sun, Jello-O and other kid-targeted brands with snack-themed textbooks with snacks embedded inside.
Pepsi shakeup
Kaplan’s departure from PepsiCo came amid a larger executive shuffle there, with vice president of sports, entertainment and gaming Kalen Thornton and senior vp and CMO of energy drinks Fabiola Torres also moving on to other corporate gigs. The company hired a European CMO, Paula Marconi, a veteran of Kraft Heinz.