One serving of fries calls for just a little ketchup, a hot dog for a neat zigzag line, and a burger, at least according to the biggest ketchup lovers, for a layer that could hardly be described as moderate. Instead of deciding how much ketchup is enough, Heinz has created a lid that allows everyone to determine their own measure.
The Love Lid has three settings called Like, Love and Crazy Love. Turning the dial changes the amount of ketchup released with each squeeze, allowing users to choose how much they want on their fries, hot dog or burger. The idea was developed by Kraft Heinz with the agency Wieden+Kennedy London and Beta Design Office as a limited summer activation for the US and UK markets.
The starting point was not new eating habits, but long-running debates that ketchup lovers have already been having online. How much should go with a serving of fries, should a hot dog be covered or merely decorated, and is there even a correct amount? Heinz turned these differences into a physical packaging feature while connecting them to the brand’s communications platform centred on “irrational love”.
The lid consists of two parts. As the dial is turned, an internal core rises and gradually enlarges the opening, allowing a smaller or larger amount of ketchup to come out with each squeeze. The bottle, its neck finish and the material traditionally used for Heinz lids have not been changed. The Love Lid uses the same polypropylene, maintains the existing recyclability profile and fits a standard US 20-ounce bottle. The buyer removes the original lid and protective seal, attaches the new one, selects the desired setting and then uses it as a regular closure.
“We all experience love differently and our fans’ connection to ketchup is no exception. People have deeply personal rituals around how much ketchup they squeeze, and we celebrate every one of them,” said Nina Patel, Vice President, Global Heinz at Kraft Heinz.
According to Patel, there is no wrong way to enjoy the product, regardless of whether someone likes it, loves it or feels “crazy love” for it. This gradation gives the practical innovation a simple communications language that can be understood without any additional explanation of the mechanism.
The Love Lid was not introduced into regular retail distribution and did not replace the standard lid on store shelves. It was offered exclusively in a bundle with a bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup and a short guide recommending settings for different summer foods. The US edition was available through Walmart’s online store, while the UK edition was offered on the Heinz to Home platform. Within days of the launch, by 13 August, the bundles were already listed as sold out on both websites.
The project continues a series of interventions in which Heinz changes the objects around ketchup rather than the product itself. Earlier this year, it introduced the Heinz Dipper, a fry box with a built-in sauce compartment. This time, the packaging gained more than a different appearance: it received a function that turns one of the most ordinary consumer habits into a choice between liking, loving and complete devotion.
