DTC998: Heinz Game Day Product Drop, Creative Strategy, and Javvy’s Subscription Tactic

Good morning,

Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:

• 🍅 Heinz’s Absurd Product-Led Game Day Playbook
• 💡 Winning With Intent-Based Creative in a Post-Andromeda Era
• ☕ How Javvy Positions Subscriptions As a Value Upgrade

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Sean Minor Wines, Cult Kits, and O! Jewelry. 👋

‍⚡ Save 40+ Hours On UGC Sourcing And Influencer Campaign Management

Are you tired of wasting time contacting influencers who don’t respond to your DMs?

💡 Listen up: There’s a simple way to grow your brand awareness with influencers while sourcing high-quality UGC content, for organic & paid social, within 14 days from responsive creators.

Enter, Insense.

• Creators apply to you: responsive creators apply to your campaigns in minutes
• Delivered within 14 days: receive high-quality UGC for organic & paid social
• Streamlined workflows: automated influencer agreements, payments, and lifetime content usage rights
• End-to-end campaign management: run all your campaigns in one place from seeding to UGC, to TikTok Shop, Meta Partnership Ads, and more

👉 Join major DTC marketing teams like Obvi, DRMTLGY, and JLO Beauty using Insense.

Plus, book a free strategy call and get $200 for your first UGC campaign until Feb 13.

‍🍅 How Heinz’s KegChup Wins Game Day Attention

You don’t need an $8 million Super Bowl ad to own the moment.

Heinz proves it by launching an unforgettable product instead.

Ahead of the Big Game, Heinz is releasing HEINZ KegChup, a 120-oz stainless steel ketchup keg designed for watch parties where running out of condiments is not an option.

Heinz teased this release on Instagram last year in October, quickly racking up nearly 1 million views across Instagram and TikTok. And now they are doubling down on it.

As Jamie Mack, Associate Director of Brand Communications for HEINZ U.S., puts it:

“We’re kicking it up a notch with the HEINZ KegChup — the ultimate game-day companion that gives people the freedom to pour responsibly, with our unmistakably rich sauce flowing all four quarters long.”

It’s equal parts absurd, practical, and instantly shareable. ✨

What else is working:

Cultural parody done right: KegChup cleverly spoofs beer kegs, often associated with game-day celebrations, while staying unmistakably Heinz.

The humor lands across generations, from die-hard fans to casual viewers.

Big Game visibility without Big Game spend: With Super Bowl ad slots now approaching $8 million for 30 seconds of airtime, Heinz sidesteps traditional media and creates earned attention through a product launch that lands well across social channels.

Built for sharing, not selling: Rather than pushing a hard sell, Heinz taps into fandom and novelty.

Fans can enter to win a KegChup ahead of the game or sign up to purchase when it officially drops later this year, extending the buzz well beyond kickoff.

The takeaway?

If you can’t afford the Super Bowl spotlight, design your way into it.

Heinz shows that a bold, culturally relevant product drop can generate conversation and social sharing at a fraction of the cost.

‍🎧 Meta Ads Aren’t About Targeting Anymore: How $5-$50 Million Dollar Brands Win With Intent-Based Creative

Daniel Sendecki, VP of Brand + Performance at Pilothouse, joins us to explain why the old model of “persuasive creative” is dead and what’s replacing it.

In a post-Andromeda Meta world, the brands winning on paid social aren’t out-designing or out-targeting anyone. They’re out-resolving.

What we cover:

• Why creative isn’t about persuasion anymore
• How Pilothouse mines Google queries to map real customer friction
• What Meta’s Andromeda update means for targeting and creative structure
• Why intent clusters matter more than personas
• How to build a creative library that scales

▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube.

🎧 Or listen here on Spotify.

Javvy’s Coffee is a strong example of subscription-first psychology done right.

CRO expert Harry Molyneux explains how Javvy increases subscription adoption by offering this while intentionally de-emphasizing the one-time purchase, making the “smart choice” feel obvious.

For consumable brands, this approach often means higher upfront acquisition costs, but the long-term payoff comes from increased LTV and repeat revenue.

‍Meta Adds A Bunch of New Features To Creator Marketplace

Meta has made it easier for brands to discover, evaluate, and connect with creators for partnership ads campaigns in Creator Marketplace.

Creator recommendations: Businesses can see which creators have tagged the brand in previous posts or who have expressed an interest in partnering with the brand.

Similar Creators search: Brands can enter a specific creator name or handle to find more potential matches.

Learn more here.

‍📥 Got a B2B Biz?

Join dozens of B2B companies finding demand-gen success through our niche community of 150k brand leaders and founders this year. Talk to our team to learn more.

Have you heard our latest podcasts?

• 💡 Ad-venturous 39: Bundles Aren’t Discounts. They’re Strategy
• 💸 TWBERP 70: Diagnosing A Drop in Email Revenue
• 💀 How Fanbi Revives DTC Brands with 30 Days of Cash Left
• 🛍️ AKNF 579: Nail DTC Merchandising in Q1 From Scroll To Sale
• 👱 Ad-venturous 38: The Personal Brand Era
• 📧 TWBERP 69: Email Metrics and Reporting That Matter

Don’t forget to rate the DTC Podcast on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.

Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content.