The year is 1967. Heinz Beanz launches its famous “Beanz Meanz Heinz” advertising slogan, since voted the U.K.’s favorite of all time. This same year, THE WHO release their third album, “The Who Sell Out”, with the now-iconic sleeve featuring Roger Daltrey sitting in a bath full of Heinz Beanz and featuring “Heinz Baked Beans” as the second track. What a year 1967 was. But we’re not trying to cause a big sensation, we’re just talkin’ ’bout our g-g-generation.
Fast forward to 2021 and the two icons are reuniting after more than 50 years to celebrate THE WHO releasing the expanded edition of “The Who Sell Out” (due on April 23) — this time with no bean-filled baths involved.
Instead, Heinz and THE WHO are launching limited-edition “Beanz Meanz The Who” cans, and this is no sellout; the cans sold in the U.S will raise funds for Teen Cancer America, and the U.K. cans will raise funds for child hunger charity Magic Breakfast and cancer support charity Teenage Cancer Trust, Heinz and THE WHO‘s respective charity partners.
A giant, hand-signed (empty) 57.5cm (H) x 42cm (D) version of the limited-edition can is also being auctioned off for the charities via givergy.uk/HeinzTheWho from Thursday, April 15 to Sunday, April 25.
The net proceeds will not only help Magic Breakfast continue their work towards ending child morning hunger as a barrier to education in the U.K. and allow them to continue providing healthy breakfasts to pupils in over 1,000 schools in disadvantaged areas each school day but will also help fund Teen Cancer America and Teenage Cancer Trust‘s vital work supporting young people aged 13-24 through cancer treatment.
There is a total of 500 limited-edition cans available to buy today from the official artist store in the U.S. for just $8.00 (USD).
The album artwork featuring Roger Daltrey holding a giant can of Heinz Beanz while sitting in a bath full of the Beanz “was the best visual of the whole album cover,” according to Roger, making the subsequent bout of illness that Daltrey endured to make it possible all worth it.
Reminiscing about the 1967 photoshoot, Roger said: “[Afterwards] I ended up with a week in bed with either the flu or probably the worst cold that I’ve had in my lifetime and I put it down to the baked beans because they’d just come out of the fridge; they were freezing cold! I sat in them for twenty minutes until they had the great idea of putting electric fire round the back of the bathtub I was sitting in, which worked for a while. It started to heat them up, but then they started to cook. So my arse was roasting while my front was freezing and within 24 hours, I was in bed with the sniffles. I don’t blame the beans; I blame the electric fire!”
Despite that experience, THE WHO frontman’s love for Heinz Beanz has not waned. Roger said: “I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like Heinz Beanz, they’re great. They’re so simple; you put your eggs on, you put your toast on, you click your toaster, you time your eggs, and you put the beans in a pan, and it all comes together all in one lump. It’s great. For someone who can’t cook like me, it’s the most magical breakfast you can have: poached eggs and beans on toast.”
Lucy Cooke, brand manager, Heinz Beanz said: “We are very excited to be working with THE WHO, celebrating the iconicity of both our brands, as they release the expanded edition of the 1967 album ‘The Who Sell Out’. 1967 was obviously a great time for creativity, as our famous advertising slogan ‘Beanz Meanz Heinz’ launched that very same year and went on to be voted the U.K.’s favorite of all time.
“We’ve had lots of fun working on this collaboration, and to be able to raise funds for our brilliant charity partners with our limited-edition “Beanz Meanz The Who” cans is just wonderful.”
Jane Ashton, head of entertainment, Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We’re thrilled that THE WHO and Heinz have teamed up to fundraise for teenagers and young people with cancer.
“The money raised for Teenage Cancer Trust will fund our specialist nurses and support teams who work tirelessly to get young people with cancer through the hardest times of their lives.”
Emily Wilkie, head of fundraising, Magic Breakfast: “We’re very excited that Heinz and THE WHO are using this brilliant initiative to raise vital funds for children and young people via Magic Breakfast and Teenage Cancer Trust. The funds Magic Breakfast receive will help us work towards ending child morning hunger in the U.K. and allow us to continue providing healthy breakfasts each school day to pupils in over 1,000 schools in disadvantaged areas each school day. A huge thank you to both Heinz and THE WHO!”
Bruce Resnikoff, president and CEO, UMe, said: “THE WHO are not only groundbreaking musicians, but they were the first to establish specialized Teen Cancer centers in the U.S. and U.K. We are proud to help them raise funds for their charities in a way, only THE WHO can do.”
