A ketchup bottle is lifted into the air like Simba, Olaf is assembled from marshmallows, and Mickey Mouse appears as a silhouette drawn in ketchup. The new film by Kraft Heinz and The Walt Disney Company brings together their most recognizable symbols without the classic insertion of products into scenes from films.
The Together at Last campaign was presented as the beginning of a multi-year strategic partnership that will develop far beyond advertising. The collaboration includes Disney parks and resorts in North America, Disney Cruise Line, film studios, streaming platforms, media channels and fan events.
To introduce the partnership, the companies selected moments that both brands have shared with the same audience for decades. Disney stories have often been part of family evenings, while products such as Heinz ketchup, Philadelphia spread and Kraft Mac & Cheese have ended up on tables in front of the television. The campaign turned that existing connection into a series of scenes in which the boundary between the kitchen and the film world gradually disappears.
The platform was developed by the agency Rethink, while the central film Meant to Be Together was directed by Matt Baron of Felon Studios. Instead of recreating scenes from Disney films, the creative team looked for products that could take on the role of a recognizable object, character or symbol.
The starting idea was a Heinz bottle lifted like Simba from the film The Lion King. That scene became the basis for a visual sequence in which a sandwich with Heinz mustard enters the world of Toy Story, Jet-Puffed marshmallows become Olaf from Frozen, and Kraft Heinz products together create the shadow of Disney’s castle. The film was shaped as an uninterrupted movement through the kitchen, with details that can only be noticed after several viewings.
The same principle was transferred to outdoor and digital formats. Each visual is based on the question of what Kraft Heinz products would look like if they had always existed in the Disney world. The product and the film reference were therefore given equal roles, without one remaining merely decoration for the other.
The partnership will also be visible beyond media channels. Ten brands from the Kraft Heinz portfolio will receive new menus, equipment and experiences at Disney destinations. Specially designed Heinz condiment stations will be installed throughout the parks, while additional offerings are planned for cruise ships and other food service locations.
The first major activation beyond the campaign is scheduled for Disney’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, which will take place from August 14 to 16 in Anaheim. Heinz will open its Flavor Ferry there and offer visitors four new sauces: Blackberry Bourbon BBQ, Orange Mojo, Brauhaus Mustard and Maple Sweet Chili. The first 570 visitors each day will also receive a limited-edition collectible pin.
The companies have not yet announced details of future menus and experiences in the parks. The Together at Last campaign was conceived as the beginning of a broader creative platform rather than a one-off partnership announcement. New content is expected to appear wherever audiences already encounter Disney, from the family table and streaming screens to theme parks and travel.
