Ed Sheeran could have a future in advertising! The “Shape of You” singer, who has long had an obsession with ketchup, is now starring in his own Heinz commercial that is entirely devoted to the condiment and his unyielding love for it.
Believe it or not, the ad, which debuted on Monday, June 17, was Sheeran’s brainchild. Back in April, the 28-year-old took to Instagram to share photos of himself striking various poses with a bottle of Heinz ketchup in hand. The musician then used the caption to get the brand’s attention.
“Yo @heinz I have an idea for a TV ad if you wanna do one, if not I won’t be offended, I could never be mad at you,” he wrote at the time. “Slide in my DMs or have your people call my people. Lots of love, your biggest fan x.”
About a month later, Sheeran teased on Instagram that his Heinz advert was “happening,” and by Monday, it had officially debuted. “Okay guyz, so it actually happened,” he said via the photo sharing app, alongside a clip of the commercial. “I sent a voice note to @heinz, and we made a whole tv spot around it.”
The Grammy winner went on to add that the spot is “pretty much what I was aiming for in life.” He also wrote, “Ketchup ad > stadium tour.”
So what exactly happens in the ad Sheeran helped create? The premise is that he is pitching an idea for a ketchup commercial within the ad, and it starts with him entering a “super posh” restaurant and sitting down for a “fancy” meal. When his dish arrives, the “Thinking Out Loud” crooner says it looks good, but feels there is something missing. “So, I reach into my bag and take out the only thing that can complete me,” he explains in a voiceover as he grabs a bottle of Heinz ketchup from his backpack. “And at that point, the whole world came to a stop.”
Restaurant patrons, the waiter and a dog glare at Sheeran with concern as he drowns his fancy meal in the popular topping and digs in. “So that’s my idea,” he concludes. “Do you want to do it?”
Obviously Heinz gave the green light. As a matter of fact, this is the second collaboration the brand has had with Sheeran in as many weeks. On June 5, the Pittsburgh-based company unveiled Edchup – Sheeran’s own personal variety of ketchup.
“It’s actually real and you’ll be able to get your hands on one very soon,” the U.K. native wrote on Instagram earlier this month alongside a photo of himself planting a smooch on a bottle of his personalized condiment. The bottles, which were created in conjunction with National Ketchup Day, have already sold out.
Still, Sheeran needn’t look far if he needs a bit more ketchup in his life – he famously has a tattoo of a Heinz ketchup bottle on his arm.
