Heinz Ketchup aired a commercial that was 0.57 seconds long during Sunday’s Nascar race

Heinz Ketchup is all about slowing things down. So, on Sunday, the brand showed up on a broadcast that’s all about speed—a Nascar race—with a blink-and-you’ll-miss it commercial that viewers had to slow down to appreciate. Working with agency Rethink, Heinz created a 0.57-second spot (a reference to the number 57 on its bottles) and aired it during the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube. The spot whizzed by, and some viewers might have assumed it was a glitch. But those curious enough to pause and rewind might have caught a frame or two—including a hidden code, HEINZSLOW, for $5 off a DoorDash order. Here’s how the spot looked during the broadcast: Consumers could also visit heinzenjoyedslow.com to see the spot at four different speeds. Targeted Instagram and TikTok videos pointed users to the microsite. The campaign also features a custom native video unit that will be served to a targeted audience and gives viewers the same ability to watch the video at a variety of speeds, a Heinz rep told Ad Age. Here is a video of the spot on its own: As you might expect, the media buy for broadcast was tricky here. In the end, the brand had to pay for a full 15-second spot just to air the 0.57-second one. Heinz worked with Starcom’s Publicis 57 on U.S. media, and Zeno on public relations. “If any brand can appreciate the value of slow, it’s Heinz,” said Jacqueline Chao, senior brand manager on Heinz. “With our new spot, we’re excited to reward those who appreciate slowing things down—including our famously slow-pouring ketchup.” “Of course it’s important to find new ways to capture people’s attention in broadcast, but the role of the brand and why you’re doing it matters just as much,” said Mike Dubrick, chief creative officer at Rethink Toronto. “Heinz has been famously slow for over 100 years. So who better to pull something like this off? Figuring out how to get a 0.57-second spot on air was the challenge. So it’s been great working with our media partners to break new ground in broadcast and bring this to life.”

Heinz Ketchup aired a commercial that was 0.57 seconds long during Sunday’s Nascar race

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