Heinz Is Going All Out Out For Halloween This Year

There's a lot of things you could do with a bottle of ketchup. Such as putting a big swirl on the bun of a fully-loaded cheeseburger at a barbecue, or striping your fresh-cut fries in the sweet and tangy stuff during a night of takeout. Or, even putting a little of that bad boy on a Halloween costume. Yes, seriously. While it may sound completely ridiculous to some, ketchup has been a staple of homemade Halloween costumes for a pretty long time. Smearing a glob or two of thick red paste on a set of vampire teeth or on a hockey mask gives the terrifying effect of looking like you're covered in blood. 

Truth be told, foodstuffs for special effects has long been a staple of Hollywood magic for a long time, especially around Halloween and horror films. From sound artists smashing pumpkins and watermelons to simulate the sounds of gore (via FilmDaddy) to using corn syrup to create the bloody aftermath, food has always been used to bring that extra hint of realism to even the most fantastic scenarios. Of course, most food companies don't openly say to use their products in this way, but this year, Heinz has eagerly embraced the creepy use of their ketchup by temporarily changing its name and offering a unique costume, too.

In celebration of all things ghosts and goblins, Heinz has announced a temporary name change to their famous ketchup. You'll no longer be purchasing just your average ketchup, but instead a bottle of the more intense-sounding Tomato Blood (via MarketingDive). Dressed up with a new logo that brings to mind classic blood-soaked horror movie posters, Heinz boasts a new catchphrase that capitalizes on the use of their ketchup as a Halloween decoration: "If you have Heinz, you have a costume." Don't worry, there's no "spooky" changes to the recipe, so you can still enjoy that classic taste of Heinz if you have some left over after Halloween.

The company's hauntingly wild promotion doesn't stop there. You can even buy your own costume from them, right off their website! Choose from a blood-drenched mad scientist, a bloody mummy, and a bloody undead corpse bride, and there's also child-sizes so the whole family can join in the "bloody" good time! Also for sale is a Tomato Blood Costume Kit for $19.99, featuring vampire teeth, spooky eyelashes, a sponge and dropper, tattoos, rhinestone sheets, and a bottle of Tomato Blood. If you're in the Santa Monica area, be sure to keep an eye out for the Heinz Halloween pop-up store opening October 21 and running through October 31, where you can snag some Heinz Halloween merchandise and even make your own custom costume at the store's "drip station," according to Thrillist.

Perhaps Heinz's Halloween stunt will have others racing to "ketch-up" to the Halloween market!