Heinz, Hot Dog Champ Protest ‘Mistreatment’ of Franks
Heinz has launched the “Hot Dogs Are Not a Contest” movement to end the mistreatment of hot dogs – depriving them of necessary condiments – once and for all. Just minutes after the world’s most famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, the brand and six-time Hot Dog-Eating Contest Champion, Takeru Kobayashi, rallied for justice by giving runners-up a chance at redemption. The first losing finalist who eats a hot dog the right way – with love, admiration, and of course, Heinz condiments – will win $10,000, matching the Hot Dog Eating Contest’s prize money.
While 94 percent of fans prefer their hot dogs covered in crave-worthy condiments, every year, contestants continue to mistreat hundreds of franks. They dunk the buns in water and swallow dozens of franks whole – all without condiments and the joy they bring. Now Heinz is taking a stand against the horror in partnership with grassroots organizer, Francis Weiner and Kobayashi.
“After participating in this contest for many years, I can attest to the mistreatment of hot dogs first-hand and admit to doing it myself,” says Kobayashi. “I recognize now that I was woefully misguided, and I want to make it right by joining the movement. I am done with Hot Dog Eating Contests, and I encourage contestants and fans everywhere to see the light – hot dogs aren’t hot dogs without condiments.”
Immediately following The Hot Dog Eating Contest, Heinz gave losing finalists a chance at redemption – by simply enjoying a frank properly – dressed in Heinz condiments. The first runner-up to film themself savoring a hot dog with at least one Heinz condiment and direct message it to the @Heinz Instagram will win. The prize includes $10,000 – a match to the contest’s official prize money – and all the condiment-filled bragging rights.
“After recently launching our new global creative platform, ‘It Has to be Heinz ,’ this is a perfect moment to continue shining a light on the irrational love that fans have for Heinz ,” says Megan Lang, director of brand communications, Heinz . “There’s an entire contest dedicated to how people eat hot dogs. As the condiment category leader, we’re sure our fans agree that hot dogs are best when enjoyed with Heinz.”
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Pepsi Bottling Ventures Suffers Security Breach
Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC has revealed that a security breach occurred in December that may have involved some personal information provided by current and former employees and contractors of PBV.
Pepsi Bottling Ventures is an independent, privately-held bottler. No information owned by PepsiCo was affected.
On Jan. 10, Pepsi Bottling Ventures learned that unauthorized activity was reported on certain internal IT systems. PBV took prompt action to contain the incident and further strengthen the security of its networks. Based on its investigation, an unknown party accessed those systems on or around Dec. 23 and downloaded certain information contained in the accessed IT systems.
As of Jan. 19, PBV has detected no unauthorized activity.
The impacted information varies by individual, and may have included: first and last names (including individual and/or parents’ legal surname prior to marriage); home address; email address; financial account information (including a limited number of passwords, PIN codes or other access numbers); state and federal government issued identification numbers such as driver license numbers, ID cards, Social Security numbers and passport information; digital signatures; and information related to benefits and employment, including certain limited medical history, health and health insurance claims, and health insurance information such as policy numbers.
Pepsi Bottling Ventures promptly reported the incident to law enforcement, suspended all affected systems and investigated to understand the scope and impact of the incident. At this time, the company said it not aware of any identity theft or fraud involving an individual’s personal information.
Pepsi Bottling Ventures has secured the services of Kroll to provide identity monitoring at no cost for at least one year for those impacted. Identity monitoring services include credit monitoring, a current credit report, web watcher, public persona, Quick Cash Scan, $1 million identity fraud loss reimbursement, fraud consultation and identity theft restoration.
For those who may have been affected, the company advises promptly change username(s), password(s) and security question answer(s) for any accounts or account information maintained with Pepsi Bottling Ventures and take any other appropriate steps to protect all other online accounts that use the same username, password or security question answer.
Those seeking additional information may contact a toll-free call center at (866) 674-3149, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding major U.S. holidays.
“PBV values the security and privacy of the information entrusted to us and deeply regrets this incident,” the company said in a statement.
Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC is a privately held manufacturer, seller and distributor of some of the most recognized beverage brands in the world. Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., PBV has 19 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware.
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SEG Donates $750K to Folds of Honor
Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, has donated $750,000 to Folds of Honor, bolstering its support for the nonprofit by helping provide 150 educational scholarships to the children and spouses of fallen and disabled military members.
SEG’s donation was made possible thanks to generous customers and associates who donated and rounded up their grocery bills while shopping at their local Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores during the grocer’s sixth annual community donation program. All funds raised during the four-week donation program will directly support Folds of Honor in its mission to honor the sacrifice of America’s heroes by equipping and educating their loved ones.
Anthony Hucker, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, said, “We are immensely grateful for the dedication and generosity our customers and associates have shown our military families through their support of Folds of Honor. It is inspiring to witness our communities joining together to create meaningful change – especially during these challenging economic times. Together, we have made a lasting difference in the lives of our heroes who have sacrificed so much for our everyday freedoms. Thank you for standing with us as we build a better, brighter future for all.”
Since the beginning of its partnership in 2018, SEG has donated more than $7.5 million to Folds of Honor with the help of its customers, associates and charitable arm, SEG Gives Foundation. The funds raised through SEG’s annual community donation programs have provided more than 1,500 educational scholarships for the children and spouses of fallen and disabled U.S. military service members.
Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, CEO and founder of Folds of Honor, said, “We can’t thank Southeastern Grocers and its communities enough for their continued support of our program. The unwavering patriotism we’ve seen over the course of our six-year partnership has made a profound impact on our mission and in the lives of our brave military families. It’s because of great American companies like Southeastern Grocers that we are able to provide educational opportunities to more and more deserving families each year.”
Scholarships awarded through Folds of Honor provide private education tuition and tutoring for children in grades K-12, as well as tuition for college, technical or trade school and post-graduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate or professional program. Folds of Honor has provided more than 44,000 educational scholarships for children, spouses and dependents of fallen and disabled military service members since its inception in 2007, and recently expanded its program to support first responder families.
SEG is also commemorating the red, white and blue by helping customers save on their Independence Day party essentials. Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores are offering great deals on steak, desserts and more, and open regular business hours on the Fourth of July for any last-minute needs; in-store pharmacies will close at 4 p.m. on the Fourth of July. For added convenience, participating Winn-Dixie stores and Harveys Supermarket locations are providing free curbside pickup and delivery options, where available, on orders of $35 or more for a limited time.
For more information on Fourth of July deals, customers are encouraged to stop in their local Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores, or visit www.frescoymas.com, www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com.
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