ABC Sambal turns up the heat and sales with 'Kuncian Ibu' campaign

The chilli category is heating up - and ABC Sambal is contributing to that momentum. Its “Kuncian Ibu, asli pedasnya” campaign has led to double-digit growth and setting new benchmarks in its digital performance.

Developed by Monks Indonesia, the campaign built on ABC’s long-running promise: “ABC do it the hard way, so moms can do it the easy way.” But this time, it sharpened its focus - positioning ABC Sambal as the go-to solution for time-strapped mothers looking to create meaningful meals with minimal fuss.

The campaign’s insight was simple but resonant: modern Indonesian mothers are in constant motion, balancing work, childcare, and household duties. In that chaos, they still want to create moments of connection through food. ABC Sambal became “Kuncian Ibu” (“Mom’s Key”) - the trusted shortcut that unlocks taste, time, and togetherness.

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“We want to shift the mindset from a battle of the spiciest to honouring ABC Sambal’s mastery of chilli making,” said Herbert Pradjaja, creative director at Monks. “For us, being the most sensational is never the goal; it is to be the brand used most often.”

The team executed the campaign across multiple touchpoints - from recipe content optimised for daily meal routines, to a TikTok campaign centred on kuncian kebersamaan (the key to togetherness), portraying spicy food as the backdrop for real, relatable family moments.

The results were as fiery as the product. The campaign not only delivered double-digit volume growth for ABC Sambal but also outperformed digital video benchmarks by a significant margin - exceeding Meta’s VTR benchmark by 130% and TikTok’s by 160%.

Crucially, this growth came not by chasing viral trends or novelty flavours, but by leaning into ABC Sambal’s legacy of authenticity and its cultural place at the heart of mealtime in Indonesia.

ABC Sambal, produced by Heinz ABC Indonesia, has long been a staple in the modern Indonesian households. Known for its signature heat and variety of flavours, the brand offers popular variants such as ABC Sambal Asli, ABC Sambal Extra Pedas, and ABC Sambal Nusantara.

Heinz ABC Indonesia is a Jakarta-based subsidiary of Kraft Heinz, focused on producing a wide range of food and beverage products - including sauces, condiments, juices, and syrups. Beyond sambal, the company is also widely recognised for its flagship sweet soy sauce, Kecap ABC.

Sambal - a traditional Southeast Asian chilli condiment - continues to be a kitchen essential across Indonesia and its neighbouring markets. According to research firm Technavio, the sambal market is projected to grow by US$95.6 million between 2023 and 2028, at a compound annual growth rate of 4.36%.

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