Close-Up: The limited-edition Kirby X Heinz giveaway items were worth tracking down

Since 2024, Heinz Japan has partnered twice with HAL Laboratory to produce Kirby-themed labels for a variety of its popular condiments. When the Kirby ketchup bottles and pouches first appeared in Japanese grocery stores and retail chains, they quickly became highly sought-after items among fans worldwide.

Kirby and food are always a great mix, but Heinz ketchup bottles inspired by the Maxim Tomato aesthetic felt especially perfect. It didn’t take long for these products to sell out on import and auction sites, but one particular item from the event that wasn’t even widely available overwhelmingly took the spotlight for fans across the Kirby Informer social pages.

The real stars of the collaboration from our community were the limited-edition giveaway items distributed exclusively on X (formerly known as Twitter) to residents of Japan who were following the official Heinz Japan account.

Recently, I’ve been diving deep into the history of Kirby merchandise and collecting items produced in limited quantities. Thanks to ZenMarket, I was finally able to acquire both Heinz Kirby collectibles for my collection, and I wanted to take a moment to showcase them in their glory. While the items may seem simple, there’s a lot to appreciate about these small trinkets that commemorate a brief but extremely memorable moment in Kirby’s history.

In 2024, when Heinz announced its first Kirby collaboration, the company created only 1,500 of these Kirby ketchup-themed soft pouches. This small red case features a gold zipper and a patch inspired by the front label of the first Kirby Heinz ketchup bottle ever revealed.

Recipients of this item also received a congratulatory letter from Heinz Japan. While the letter itself isn’t particularly remarkable, it’s a thoughtful touch that makes the pouch feel even more special. On a side note, I also really adore how Heinz included a drawing of Kirby in the letter!

In 2025, when Heinz collaborated with HAL Laboratory for a second lineup of Kirby-themed condiment labels, the company surprisingly gave away only 1,000 of the Kirby x Heinz keychains pictured above. Like before, the keychain replicates a ketchup bottle label from the first product revealed in Heinz’s second wave of Kirby condiments. 

Like the first giveaway item, winners also received another congratulations letter from Heinz!

Looking back on the collaboration, it’s a bit strange that fewer giveaway items were produced during the second event. Heinz knew how popular the first Kirby giveaway was, and they also strangely chose to skip out on acknowledging Waddle Dee with the item.

2025 had so many incredible new Kirby products, but I think it’s the presentation and specialty behind these two collaboration giveaway items that make them some of my favorites from the year.

If you’re hoping to add them to your own collection, I highly recommend checking JDirectItems and Mercari on ZenMarket for listings. While listings that contain both the Kirby Heinz pouch and keychain are hard to come by, you can easily find them individually for a reasonable price!