Firework and HEINZ Partner to Launch First-of-its-kind Shoppable Livestream Halloween Event
Firework, the video platform built to bring shoppable livestream and short-form video experiences to any website, has partnered with HEINZ® to deliver a first-of-its-kind livestream experience as the HEINZ Halloween Store opens in Santa Monica, California.
As HEINZ unleashes its Tomato Blood Ketchup and Tomato Blood Costume Kits just in time for Halloween costume fun, the brand will stream live, shoppable video from its Santa Monica Place pop-up HEINZ Halloween Store, engaging modern families and Halloween-goers across the country. Through livestreams hosted directly on HEINZ’s website and owned social media channels and simulcast over multiple publishing websites through a partnership with Evolve Media, HEINZ is tapping into new ways to turn localized events into a national play.
“We are excited to bring the magic of Halloween to people through our first-ever HEINZ Halloween Store, but we don’t want to limit that experience to only those who can make it in person,” said Ashleigh Gibson, Brand Director, HEINZ. “By working with Firework, we’re able to connect with fans across the country who can not only watch the action unfold on the livestream but also actively participate in the conversation and buy products without ever leaving the stream.”
Modern families and younger consumers are bombarded with content from every direction, 24/7—and brands and their agencies need to get extra creative to break through the noise. The HEINZ livestream event, featuring costume-making tutorials, demonstrations and other interactive programming, will leverage the Firework platform, enabling in-the-moment engagement among viewers and creators and building brand sentiment and affinity. The livestream, which will allow for easy purchases direct from the stream, will be carried on the HEINZ website and simulcast on Facebook, YouTube and through a partnership with Evolve Media.
“As one of the first major CPG brands in the U.S. to sell directly to consumers through a large-scale livestream event with Firework, HEINZ is forging new authentic paths to direct engagement, particularly with younger families,” said Jeff Lucas, Firework chief revenue officer. “Livestream shopping, while already hugely popular in Asian markets, is only just beginning to take hold here in the United States. As the third-largest food and beverage company in North America, the Kraft Heinz company is clearly demonstrating that livestream engagement and ecommerce—both inside and outside the walled gardens of social media—is the way of the future.”
The livestream event is part of the launch of HEINZ Tomato Blood Ketchup, a reflection of the fact that for years, families across the world have used HEINZ Ketchup to add fake but convincing “blood” to Halloween costumes. The campaign was created with Heinz media agency partner Publicis 57 – a unique bespoke model that taps into centers of excellence like Publicis Commerce. In addition to bottles of Tomato Blood Ketchup, available at national grocery stores, HEINZ has also launched Tomato Blood Costume Kits and the HEINZ Halloween Store, where guests can purchase merchandize and even create their own costumes using HEINZ Tomato Blood Ketchup and the store’s interactive “drip stations.”
“By bringing this exciting pop-up shop experience to families around the country through livestreaming, HEINZ is making an already dynamic and compelling seasonal campaign much more engaging,” said Eric Levin, president and chief content officer, Publicis Media US. “HEINZ is taking a fantastic seasonal campaign and delivering it to fans through the type of swipeable, interactive content they’re accustomed to. HEINZ is generating their next wave of fandom—and leading the next wave of content ecommerce in the process.”