There are debates that never end. Pain au chocolat or chocolatine. Pineapple on pizza.
And now : Fries dipped into ketchup-flavored ice cream.
In Chile, Heinz has taken sweet-and-savory experimentation to the next level by launching a ketchup-flavored ice cream inspired by its iconic sauce. Yes—a real red ice cream, tomato-based, designed specifically to pair with crispy fries. And surprisingly, the idea didn’t come out of nowhere.
A viral trend turned official product
On Chilean social media, dipping fries into ice cream isn’t unusual. For months, users have shared their sweet-and-salty combinations, turning the practice into a small but growing local trend.
Heinz watched. Heinz tested. Heinz decided to make it official.
Instead of simply reacting with a clever social media post, the brand developed the Heinz Ice Cream Dip—a creamy soft-serve-style ice cream infused with the tangy, slightly spicy notes of Heinz ketchup.
Served in a swirl format and visually as red as the iconic sauce itself, the product delivers immediate visual impact.
The message is simple and consistent with the brand’s positioning: if it’s fries, it has to be Heinz.
A Provocation… Perfectly calculated
Behind the playful absurdity lies a highly strategic move.
Heinz isn’t trying to become an ice cream brand. It’s trying to spark conversation, surprise consumers, and reinforce the almost automatic association between Heinz and fries. Turning its signature sauce into a dessert pushes the logic to the extreme. It transforms an existing behavior into a branded experience.
In other words: you were already doing it—we just made it official.
Visually, the bright red ice cream works instantly. It intrigues, it shocks slightly, and it makes people want to try it—at least once. And that’s exactly what a successful marketing activation should achieve.
Chile as a testing ground
The ketchup ice cream is available in selected supermarkets, partner cafés, food trucks, and via online ordering in Chile. The rollout is intentionally local—almost experimental.
This kind of launch isn’t meant to fill freezers worldwide. It’s designed to generate buzz, reactions, and shares. It’s about occupying cultural space rather than retail shelf space.
Heinz taps into a broader trend of food brands embracing unexpected flavor combinations to remain relevant. From mayonnaise-ketchup hybrids to unconventional chip flavors and mystery sodas, products are increasingly becoming conversation starters.
Sometimes, all it takes is a tomato-red cone to reignite an eternal debate—and remind consumers who owns the fries category.
