It’s an internet joke that’s been around for years: if a tomato is a fruit… is ketchup technically a smoothie? Heinz has now taken that question quite literally.
In collaboration with Smoothie King, the iconic condiment brand is launching the first-ever ketchup smoothie: a fruity, tangy, and slightly sweet drink made with Heinz Simply Tomato Ketchup. Part marketing provocation, part taste experiment, this smoothie is 100% real, and available in limited quantities across the U.S.
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Starting August 6, select Smoothie King locations in New York, Chicago, Denver, Miami, and Atlanta are offering the $5.70 drink. Yes, it contains ketchup, but that’s not all. It’s blended with açaí sorbet, juicy strawberries, tart raspberries, and apple juice to balance the condiment’s signature acidity with more familiar smoothie flavors.
A Perfectly Ripe Marketing Move
The version of ketchup used is Heinz Simply Tomato, made from just seven all-natural ingredients, with no artificial preservatives or colors. Heinz highlights its “tomato masters,” responsible for selecting only the ripest, reddest fruit for its products.
On the surface, this might look like a bizarre stunt, but it’s built on a long-running cultural debate that’s fueled social media for years: if tomatoes are fruit, does that make ketchup a smoothie? Heinz has taken that viral question and turned it into a playful, coherent product launch.
“The idea of a ketchup smoothie is provocative, but our priority was to create a genuinely delicious fruit smoothie with a balanced touch of ketchup,” explains Angie Madigan, Heinz VP of Marketing.
Smoothie King’s R&D team ensured the drink also met the brand’s “Clean Blends” promise: no artificial ingredients, over 70 additives excluded, and a strict nutritional approach.
The ketchup smoothie taps into a broader trend in the beverage space: more complex, sometimes savory or umami flavor profiles, with surprising ingredients like miso, mushrooms, or tomato. Unlikely brand collaborations have also become a genre of their own, often racking up millions of views on TikTok and Instagram.
Here, Heinz and Smoothie King tick all the boxes for a viral hit: a WTF-but-makes-sense idea, a polished execution, and a perfectly crafted story. The cherry on top? A New York preview event featuring tomato-inspired snacks, fresh flowers, and custom merch.
