Heinz better watch its back -- Hidden Valley is trying to steal ketchup's thunder. The Wall Street Journal reports that Hidden Valley has released a "new thicker, creamier version" of its Ranch dressing and the company isn't exactly hiding its intentions. The label boldly proclaims at the top that it is "The New 'Ketchup.'" The product itself is a topping and dip entitled "Hidden Valley for Everything." Clearly, this isn't a subtle message. Hidden Valley wants your French fries slathered in their Ranch, not Heinz's ketchup.
Even if you're down for swapping your red bottle for a white one, don't expect to see Ranch adorning restaurant tables across the country. Unlike ketchup, Hidden Valley for Everything needs to be refrigerated.
An early reviewer is a fan and remarks that the topping/dip is definitely creamier.
Although the WSJ piece claims that the new product was inspired after an executive watched his daughter "bathe her entire salmon in ranch dressing," we're inclined to think that Melissa McCarthy's epic "SNL" skit might have played a part as well. In the video below, McCarthy plays an obsessive Hidden Valley fan who goes gaga over the company's products. The sketch might not depict reality, but her enthusiasm hits upon something that is: people love creamy food.
Your move, Heinz.