Can you guess what the ’57 varieties’ on Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottles stands for?
DO you know what the ’57 Varieties’ on Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottles actually means?
While it might seem plausible to assume that the brand is just letting us know how many products they have on the market, Heinz actually produces a great deal more than this – with over 5,000 products under their umbrella.
So where did that famous number 57 actually come from?
It all comes down to an idea of the company’s namesake, Henry Heinz.
According to the brand’s website, Henry was travelling on a train in New York City back in 1896, when a sign caught his eye.
The sign was advertising ‘21 styles of shows’ – and Henry reckoned that this advertising technique was pretty ingenious.
At the time, Heinz was manufacturing more than 60 products – but Henry wasn’t a fan of this number.
So, he chose his lucky number 57 instead.
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From then on, the slogan ’57 Varieties’ was used on all Heinz advertising.
And even though the globally successful brand now boasts over 5,700 products, the lucky number has stayed put ever since.
And, let’s be honest, 57 must be a seriously lucky number judging by how hugely successful the company now is.
The '57' on the glass is also pretty handy - and can help you get more out of the bottle.
A Heinz spokesman said: “To release ketchup faster from a glass bottle, here is a little secret from Heinz.
‘The sweet spot to tap on the Heinz bottle is the 57 on the neck. All you need to do is apply a firm tap where the bottle narrows, and the ketchup will come out easier.”
So all those years we’ve been banging the base and getting nowhere – and the answer was staring us in the face.