Heinz launches ketchup ads inspired by "Mad Men"

NEW YORK - Pining to return to the days of slim lapels, two-martini lunches and intra-office romantic intrigue? Kraft Heinz (KHC) is there for you.

The food giant is launching ketchup ads inspired by the TV show “Mad Men,” which wrapped up its acclaimed run all the way back in 2015.

The idea of the campaign, which shows foods like French fries and hamburgers up close without any condiments, is to underscore that they need ketchup to be complete. Kraft Heinz is noting tongue-in-cheek that the “Pass the Heinz” campaign was created by the main character of “Mad Men,” ad executive Don Draper, played in the series by actor Jon Hamm. It is also crediting Draper’s fictional ad agency, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, as well as its real-life agency.

“The ‘Pass the Heinz’ campaign, created by Don Draper, has been 50 years in the making, but it’s as timeless today as it was when it was first presented,” Kraft Heinz said in a news release announcing the promotion. “Don (or Mr. Draper?) understood the one key thing every Heinz fan knows: Never settle for the foods you love without the great taste of Heinz.”

“Mad Men,” a drama set in the 1960s New York advertising world, ended its seven-season run two years ago.

Kraft Heinz Co. says the campaign will run as traditional print ads, such as in the New York Post, and on outdoor billboards.