#PastaNight

With #PastaNight, Heinz and Absolut take advantage of the home party trend to relaunch their pasta sauce, now available forever.

Following its sensational 2023 debut, the Heinz x Absolut vodka-infused pasta sauce is back for good. VML THE COCKTAIL's #PastaNight campaign goes beyond sauce, tapping into the social media trend of home dinner parties to blend Absolut’s nightlife sophistication with the homemade touch of Heinz Pasta Sauces.

VML THE COCKTAIL_Heinx x Absolut_#PastaNight Video

Faithful to our strategy, we seek to move away from being just another sauce. In this case, we play to elevate it, turning it into that special detail you wear when you are invited to dinner, putting it at the level of a good wine, for example. Creatively, and as in previous performances, we continue to take special care of the craft, creating an intelligent and sophisticated visual universe.

Gloria Hernández

Executive Creative Director at VML THE COCKTAIL

In a rapidly evolving world where home entertaining was becoming more central, VML THE COCKTAIL was tasked with a unique challenge: to transform the perception of a simple pasta sauce into a sophisticated, aspirational centerpiece for modern home dining.

We needed to re-launch a wildly successful, previously limited-edition product – the Heinz x Absolut vodka-infused pasta sauce – and establish it as a permanent, indispensable addition to the Heinz lineup, particularly resonating with the trend-setting Gen Z audience. Our fight was to elevate the ordinary and prove that a pasta sauce could be as special as a fine wine.

The spark for #PastaNight ignited from a powerful insight: Gen Z is increasingly bringing the vibrant energy of nightlife into their home gatherings. This wasn't just about cooking; it was about creating an atmosphere. We drew further inspiration from Absolut's iconic 1980s advertising, recognizing the power of sophisticated visuals and clever integration. The directive was clear: position this sauce not as a mere condiment, but as the "special touch" that elevates any dinner party, making it an "Absolutely Night In" and "Absolutely Inviting" experience.

Our solution was the #PastaNight campaign, a concept that merges culinary delight with vibrant social experiences, while further mixing the iconic identities of the two brands. We crafted a sophisticated visual universe, integrating Absolut's iconic bottle silhouette into elegant home settings, with headlines inspired by its famous prints. This multi-faceted campaign included high-impact outdoor advertising, engaging social media content and short films. The pinnacle was an exclusive #PastaNight event, an immersive blend of DJ sets, live cooking demonstrations, and culinary arts, showcasing how a simple sauce could elevate any gathering into a memorable occasion.

The impact of #PastaNight has been nothing short of phenomenal, cementing the Heinz x Absolut sauce as a beloved and permanent staple. Beyond mere sales, we successfully tapped into and amplified a significant cultural trend, making home entertaining more exciting and accessible for Gen Z. The campaign generated immense buzz, both in-person at our immersive event and across all social media platforms, transforming the sauce into a statement piece that elevates dinner parties and fosters shared, memorable experiences. This collaboration continues to fuel the "Ridiculously Good" platform, showcasing VML THE COCKTAIL's ability to create lasting cultural resonance and meaningful brand growth.