Heinz Pours It on for Cramer-Krasselt; Company Consolidates Condiments

    Business Editors

    PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2005--The H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ) announced today that it has consolidated advertising for its entire U.S. Consumer Products brand portfolio - including Heinz(R) Ketchup and Classico(R) sauces - with Cramer-Krasselt. The Chicago-based independent already handles Heinz Frozen Foods brands - including Ore-Ida(R) frozen potatoes and Weight Watchers(R) Smart Ones(R) entrees and desserts.
    Heinz awarded the Frozen Foods brands to C-K in August of 2004 after a comprehensive review. Based on the strength of the overall strategic partnership that has developed between Heinz and C-K, the decision was made to consolidate all its U.S. retail advertising business with the agency. The accounts were previously handled by Leo Burnett and Campbell Mithun.
    "In a relatively short period of time, C-K has shown both the brand planning expertise and the ability to understand our brands that we believe is necessary to help drive our businesses forward," said Dave Moran, President of Heinz U.S. Consumer Products. "We're looking forward to leveraging C-K's unique approach and insights across our entire U.S. portfolio."
    "The Heinz brand teams are unbelievably strategic and aggressive," said Peter Krivkovich, C-K president and CEO. "We have built a strong, collaborative relationship with Heinz and are delighted to have the opportunity to expand on it with the addition of these great, classic brands."

    About H.J. Heinz Company

    H.J. Heinz Company is one of the world's leading processors and marketers of high-quality ketchup, condiments, sauces, meals, soups, snacks and infant foods through all retail and foodservice channels. A host of favorite brands, such as Heinz(R) Ketchup, Ore-Ida(R) French Fries, Boston Market(R) and Smart Ones(R) meals and Plasmon(R) baby food are the growth drivers in Heinz's two strategic global segments: Ketchup, Condiment and Sauces and Meals & Snacks. Heinz's 50 companies have number-one or number-two brands in 200 countries, showcased by the Heinz(R) brand, a global consumer icon with $2.5 billion in annual sales. Fourteen additional brands, each with more than $100 million in annual sales, generate a further $2.6 billion. Information on Heinz is available at www.heinz.com/news.

    About Cramer-Krasselt

    Rapidly growing Cramer-Krasselt is the fourth-largest independent agency in the United States with billings exceeding $557 million. Frequently featured for its creativity in Communication Arts, the agency is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York, Milwaukee, Phoenix and Orlando, Fla. Its client list is representative of major brands across virtually every industry. They include: AirTran Airways, Allen-Edmonds Shoes, BASF Corporation, CareerBuilder, Cellular South, Comcast Spotlight, Corona Beer, General Nutrition Centers (GNC), H. J. Heinz Co. (Ore-Ida, Smart Ones, Frozen Snacks), Hyatt Hotels, Master Lock, Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, ServiceMaster, Steve Madden shoes, and Ski-Doo. Cramer-Krasselt's public relations subsidiary, CKPR, is ranked among the nation's top 15 agencies. For more information, visit Cramer-Krasselt at www.c-k.com.

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CONTACT: Cramer-Krasselt Marty Ellery, 414-227-3508 Mellery@c-k.com or Heinz Robin Teets, 412-237-3562 robin.teets@us.hjheinz.com

KEYWORD: PENNSYLVANIA ILLINOIS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ADVERTISING/MARKETING CONSUMER/HOUSEHOLD FOODS/BEVERAGES RETAIL MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Cramer-Krasselt

Copyright Business Wire 2005