Ed Sheeran and a Sauce Loving Bear Launch the Singer’s New Tingly Ted’s Hot Sauce

Tingly Ted’s, the new hot sauce brand from Ed Sheeran and The Kraft Heinz Company, has launched a global creative campaign inspired by the singer’s love affair with sauces.

The series of short films introduce Ed Sheeran, an unfussy spice lover, and his friend Ted, a giant bear who is never satisfied with any of his meals without Tingly Ted’s.

The debut ad invites viewers to join Ed and Ted in a classic diner, where the duo prove that Tingly Ted’s can make anything a ‘Tingly Thing’ as they cover each dish in the perfect amount of sauce.

Having already worked with Kraft Heinz on previous collaborations involving HEINZ® ketchup, Ed, a self-proclaimed sauce fanatic, sought out the company’s proven expertise to develop the ‘ketchup of hot sauces,’ launched earlier this year.

“Tingly Ted’s was inspired by Ed’s vision for a hot sauce that has the same pride of place as ketchup…only this isn’t ketchup, it’s an entirely new brand with its own identity,” explains Andre Fernandes, VP Taste Elevation, International Zone at The Kraft Heinz Company. “Getting to know Ed and Ted has been one of the best parts of the creative process – with the help of our agencies and partners, we’ve created a brand with a distinct persona that lives in the middle of popular culture. We’re so excited to continue telling the story of Ted and Ed, and for our fans to come along with us as we do.”

Named after Ed’s childhood nickname, Tingly Ted’s is the latest insight-led innovation from Kraft Heinz as it continues to grow its Taste Elevation platform around the world, leaning into its size, culture of creativity and consumer obsession to fuel its transformation and lead the future of food.

The films were created by the WMX team at Warner Music UK, and produced by leading London production company, Smuggler, and directed by Benji Weinstein. To help bring the idea to life, John Nolan – one of the world’s most celebrated animatronics designers – was enlisted to create Ed’s larger-than-life sidekick, Ted.

Ed Sheeran on the origin of Tingly Ted’s said: “I love sauces, that’s no secret. But the older I’ve got, the more I love and need spice with every single meal. I travel a lot, so having a bottle in my suitcase wherever I go that can spice up any and every meal seemed like a good idea. I knew I didn’t wanna do a watery hot sauce, as they usually all get relegated to the same shelf of other random hot sauces. I wanted to make a sauce that took the same pride of place as ketchup.

"I had a year of whittling down the perfect flavours with a great mixing team, and we settled on two absolute belters. The Tingly and the Xtra Tingly. I’ve had them on tour with me recently to try them with all sorts of meals, and there really isn’t anything they don’t go with (except bananas, don’t do that).

"I’m so excited to bring this product out, it’s genuinely something I use every day on all three meals. I hope you love them as much as I do.”

Going live first in the UK and The Netherlands, the three social films starring Ed and Ted will be featured across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and Reddit. They will be supported by Spotify audio ads, national OOH including Piccadilly Lights in London, and two painted mural sites in London and Manchester.