Kendrick Lamar is gearing up for the biggest performance of his life at the Super Bowl Halftime show on Sunday. But let’s rewind to November 2024 when his surprise album “GNX,” received the meme treatment because of the way he humorously screamed “MUSTARRRDDDDDD!” on the song “tv off,” produced by Dijon McFarlane, aka Mustard.
Brands like McDonald’s and Heinz were quick to tap into the cultural moment. However, Heinz took things a step further this week by teasing a collaboration with the producer during the Grammys on Feb. 3.
A 30-second spot promoting a limited-edition sauce ran between the Record of the Year and Song of the Year awards presentations during the awards show, two of five awards that Lamar and Mustard were nominated for (and ultimately won) for their hit diss track “Not Like Us.”
The ad appeared to be a simple Heinz ketchup ad before the viral “MUSTAAAAAARRRD!” soundbite blasted from the speakers. The screen quickly morphed into a teaser for the partnership and Mustard’s limited-edition flavor slated for release this summer.
The spot was developed by Kraft Heinz’s in-house agency The Kitchen with help from Cashmere and media planning from Carat.
Todd Kaplan, chief marketing officer (CMO) of Kraft Heinz North America told ADWEEK the partnership was a long time coming due to Mustard’s genuine love for the product.
“Mustard, he’s such a good human, producer, all of the things, and seeing him and Kendrick with this moment, I think everyone’s rooting for him,” Kaplan said. “Knowing that we’ve come and played a small part in that story to help amplify and add to it is something we’re proud of.”
With Mustard’s rumored guest appearance during Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance, Kaplan remained tight-lipped about how Kraft Heinz might capitalize on the buzz on social. However, the exec confirmed he will be in attendance in New Orleans on Super Bowl Sunday.
The CPG has no plans to run an individual spot in the Big Game, though its Heinz Wiener Dogs and Kool-Aid brands will feature in Instacart’s ad.
ADWEEK spoke with Kaplan about how the Mustard collab came together and how it fits into Heinz’s wider marketing strategy.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.