How Heinz’s Ketchup QR Code Led to a…Not-So-Family-Friendly Surprise

When Ketchup Gets a Little Too Saucy

In the grand history of marketing fails, few are as awkward as what happened to Heinz in 2015. Picture this: a simple bottle of ketchup, a well-meaning QR code, and an unfortunate domain renewal oversight that led unsuspecting customers straight from their dinner tables to…well, an entirely different kind of saucy content.

The "My Ketchup" Campaign – A Great Idea (At First)

Between 2012 and 2014, Heinz ran the “My Ketchup” contest in Germany, letting customers design their own personalized ketchup labels. To make the process easy, each bottle featured a QR code that, when scanned, sent users to the contest’s official website. Fun, interactive, and a great way to engage customers. What could go wrong?

The Problem: Expired Domains Don’t Stay Empty for Long

Fast forward to 2015. The campaign had ended. The contest site had served its purpose. But Heinz made a classic mistake: they forgot to renew the domain tied to that QR code.

And as any internet-savvy person knows, when a domain expires, someone else can (and usually will) snatch it up. Unfortunately for Heinz, the new owner wasn’t a food blog, a fan site, or even just a dead link. Instead, the URL was now home to an adult entertainment website.

One Unlucky Customer and One Big PR Mess

Enter Daniel Korell, a Heinz-loving customer who happened to scan the QR code on his ketchup bottle in 2015. Expecting a fun throwback to the “My Ketchup” contest, he instead found himself looking at very different kinds of buns and sauces.

Horrified (but also amused), Korell posted about the mishap on Heinz’s Facebook page, making the internet aware of the unexpected ketchup detour. Naturally, social media had a field day with this one.

Heinz quickly responded, apologizing for the oversight and offering Korell a free personalized ketchup bottle. Nice gesture, but the damage was done—this blunder was now cemented in marketing history.

The Lesson: QR Codes Are Forever

The key takeaway from this? Once you distribute a URL, especially via something as permanent as a physical product, you’re playing with internet fire. If you let your domain expire, you don’t just lose control of your website—you potentially hand it over to someone with very different branding ideas.

So, what should brands do?

• Keep track of your domains. Have a renewal strategy so key URLs don’t lapse.
• Audit your QR codes. If a marketing campaign is over, make sure any scannable links still point to something relevant (or at least neutral).
• Assume your product will outlive the campaign. Even if a promo is temporary, people hold onto bottles, packaging, and printed materials for years.

At the end of the day, Heinz’s mistake is a legendary cautionary tale. Domain management isn’t just about keeping your site up—it’s about making sure your brand doesn’t accidentally send people somewhere that’s…not safe for work.

And hey, next time you scan a ketchup bottle, you might want to double-check where it’s taking you. Just in case.