Grandma's Darling

Brazilian grandmothers were not using Heinz mayonnaise, and the brand needed an invitation into their kitchens rather than another product claim. In Brazil, crochet is a symbol of affection rooted in grandmothers' homes, where everyday objects, from water filters to TV remotes, get handmade covers. Crochet marks the objects a grandmother loves, and a global mayonnaise brand does not naturally sit among them, with entrenched habits and a rival mayonnaise already in place.

DAVID Sao Paulo, the agency in the Ogilvy network, dressed Heinz jars in handmade crochet jackets so the jar looked like it already belonged among grandma's cherished objects. A lighthearted, nostalgic film carried the idea, and creator-led crochet tutorials taught followers to make their own jar covers, with creators appearing alongside their own grandmothers. Grandchildren were encouraged to use crochet as a playful argument to get grandma to try Heinz.

The idea worked by adopting an existing cultural code so the brand arrived in a form read as affection rather than advertising, with the packaging itself as the hero asset and tutorials turning it into participation. The work ran across film and digital tutorial content. No quantified results have been disclosed by Heinz, DAVID Sao Paulo or the trade press. The campaign drew coverage in March 2026 crediting DAVID Sao Paulo, so its effect on trial or sales cannot be assessed.