Ketchup launched Ron Grebler’s commercial career.
As an aspiring 8-year-old filmmaker, Ron directed a one minute war epic, shot by his grandfather using a super 8 film camera, with neighborhood kids as the cast. An essential component needed was ‘realistic’ blood for the wounded.
“Heinz ketchup was the only real choice”, confesses Grebler. “And we thought it looked really cool when it was projected.” While that film has been lost to time, the spark of joy at cinematic storytelling created at that moment has only grown for the director-producer.
With a career spanning decades, he has carved a niche for himself as a creative expert producing commercials appearing on traditional broadcast, social media and online as well as branded video content. Known for a strong dedication to his craft, he takes a particularly comprehensive, methodical and strategic approach when it comes to producing visual storytelling, which has resulted in award-winning video content for a HSBC, FUJIFilm, Netflix, AXE, Thermador, CoverGirl, and a variety of Fortune 100 brands. Grebler’s journey is a testament to his passion.
“One of the most exciting things about being a senior producer is putting to work a full kit of tools accumulated over years of creating video and film projects. At every turn, there are challenges when it comes to commercial production. Circumstances always pop up; budgetary, scheduling, talent or scope related or one of a million other things and the smallest one could completely sink the project. That’s why I think the most valuable asset is the ability to pivot … to think quickly and identify a solution and then rapidly go in that direction,” said Grebler, reflecting what he’s learned over years in the industry.
These assets and Grebler’s creative abilities were put to the test in his collaboration with world-renown (and recently named Brand of the Year), Heinz. He was tasked with producing a social media viral video spot for their iconic ketchup brand. The greater campaign aimed to capitalize on Heinz’s reputation for its famously slow-pouring ketchup and engage consumers in a unique and innovative way.
The concept was simple yet ingenious: utilize a TV spot that was only 0.57 seconds long (a play on Heinz 57), aired during a pivotal NASCAR race, that could only be properly viewed when slowed down. In slow motion, viewers would see a QR code hidden within the commercial, redeemable for a free meal from DoorDash.
The payoff to this blip of a TV spot was via a viral social video featuring influencers reacting to watching the commercial. Documenting the process of finding the QR code they then shared these experiences via posted videos on social media, thus driving engagement and building hype around the campaign.
“Finding diverse and engaging online personalities who loved Heinz ketchup and also were NASCAR fans was a fun challenge,” noted Grebler. “There were logistical issues to coordinate each person to watch the spot, identifying the best lighting and visual look for each setting as well as capturing authentic reactions from real people. I thrive on these kinds of challenges, though. It’s like the fun of working out a complex puzzle.”
Grebler ensured that not only did the videos have the correct look and feel, but that they also captured the personality and sincerity to connect to audiences on Instagram and other social media platforms. From negotiating contracts to managing the technical and logistical aspects of production to overseeing creative execution, Grebler’s long time experience as a senior producer and his strong attention to detail was crucial in shepherding this creatively ambitious and innovative project from beginning to end.
Tricia Lapidario, managing producer of the campaign for Rethink Communications (Heinz ad agency) highlights his impact. “Ron is very thorough and has a way of looking at how a production can be executed from many different angles. This helps to anticipate any potential issues that may come up and how to plan for them. He’s a natural problem solver and his collaborative nature was a key driver for how successful the videos turned out.”
The results spoke for themselves. The Heinz “Super Slow” campaign was a resounding success, garnering widespread mainstream media attention as well as acclaim within the advertising industry. It received prestigious awards, including the Clios ‘Innovation Gold’ and CMAs ‘Under Food+Beverage Innovative Media’. The campaign’s impact extended beyond social media, with press coverage highlighting its innovative approach to engaging consumers.
In an industry where creativity and innovation reign supreme, Ron Grebler continues to stand out for his talent, skills and unwavering dedication to producing entertaining content. As he continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible both technically and artistically, one thing remains certain: Ron Grebler’s passions for branded video content continue to grow.
