US food giant Kraft Heinz has signed a deal with branding consultancy Brand Central which is intended to take its products into new categories.

Kraft Heinz, which owns more than 200 brands, including Heinz, Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia and Planters, will use Brand Central for outbound licensing to extend its brands into “new lifestyle and food and beverage consumer product categories”.

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Brand Central will seek to “develop a robust portfolio” of licensed products for Kraft Heinz across food, beverage, experiential and merchandise categories for North America. 

Its previous experience in the food and beverage licensing industry includes representing brands such as Oreo, Chips Ahoy! and hot sauce brand Tapatio.

Christopher Urban, head of marketing at Kraft Heinz, said: “We feel that Brand Central has the right innovative approach to take our brands in new directions and the expertise to get it done.”

Ross Misher, Brand Central’s CEO, said: “It is the dream of any licensing agency to represent Kraft Heinz – a portfolio of the world’s favourite household brands with enormous brand affection. The opportunities are tremendous, potential is untapped, and the demand is high. We are thrilled to help them extend into strategic new food and beverage categories and on-trend merchandise that will expand brand footprint and enhance brand loyalty.”

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Kraft Heinz and Brand Central said they have begun accepting proposals across multiple categories and will announce their first licensing partners shortly.

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