March 13, 2019 09:00 AM EDT
PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ketchup lovers have a reason to celebrate in 2019. HEINZ, maker of America’s Favorite Ketchup and beloved BBQ condiments, is turning 150 years young and celebrating with a year’s worth of incredible acts of ketchup. Hold on to your buns, ketchup lovers, because HEINZ has some surprises coming your way later this year.
HEINZ’s Early Start
HEINZ didn’t become America’s go-to condiment brand overnight.
In 1869, Henry John (“H.J.”) Heinz founded the brand in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on his quest to do “a common thing uncommonly well.” H.J. Heinz didn’t just want people to taste his products’ quality, but see it. He used transparent jars – rather than the brown opaque bottles commonly used at the time – to showcase his products’ quality and purity.
HEINZ also became one of the only food manufacturers to support the Pure Food & Drug Act of 1906, which set the precedent for other companies to maintain quality and cleanliness in their factories. Delivering unparalleled quality remains at the core of the brand’s beliefs and practices.
Because of H.J. Heinz’s commitment to taste and quality, he was producing over five million bottles of HEINZ Tomato Ketchup a year by 1906. The HEINZ brand has upheld that steadfast commitment to quality and 150 years later, approximately 650 million bottles of HEINZKetchup are sold per year.
A HEINZ Highlight Reel
From the start, HEINZ has always loved to surprise and delight its fans:
- Homegrown entrepreneur. H.J. Heinz made a name for himself at the age of eight, when he first started selling produce from his mother’s garden.
- First there was…horseradish? Contrary to popular belief, HEINZ Tomato Ketchup was not the first condiment sold by the company.H.J. Heinz initially bottled and sold horseradish using his mother’s recipe in 1869.
- Ketchup beat the lightbulb. HEINZ Tomato Ketchup made its debut before the invention of the lightbulb by Thomas Edison (1879), the completion of the Eiffel Tower (1887) and the Wright Brothers’ first flight (1903).
- Pickles for millions. At the Chicago World Fair in 1893, H.J. Heinz’s booth was away from the major attractions, so he had to come up with a way to convince people to stop by. He attracted visitors through a giveaway and handed out nearly one million pickle pins, inspired by the HEINZ Ketchup packaging at the time. This was considered to be one of the greatest advertising stunts in history.
- Advertising at new bright heights. HEINZ installed the first ever electronic billboard in New York City (a 43-foot pickle standing at six stories high) in 1900. It was located where the famous Flatiron Building now stands.
- Sauce in space. HEINZ Tomato Ketchup was approved by NASA in 1999 for use on the International Space Station and continues to be the go-to condiment for galactic mealtimes.
- Tomatoes unlike any others. The superior taste and quality of HEINZ ketchup starts with its tomatoes. The brand grows tomatoes from proprietary seeds, which gives the best sweetness and generates the perfect thickness in each bottle of HEINZ Ketchup.
- From our BBQ Family to Yours. In addition to Ketchup, the brand has expanded its family of condiments to include BBQ favorites like HEINZ Mustard, HEINZ Mayonnaise and HEINZ Barbecue Sauces, inspired by the best BBQ regions in America.
- Pass the Innovation. HEINZ is always listening to its fans and last year launched MAYOCHUP sauce after over 500,000 people voted to bring it to the U.S. on Twitter.
HEINZ Today
HEINZ continues to uphold H.J. Heinz’s legacy and commitment to quality in every product they put on your table by ensuring that:
- The farmers who grow HEINZ tomatoes, many of whom have done so for generations, are committed to the highest standard of quality. HEINZ knows the ketchup on your table is only as good as the tomato it comes from.
- Every HEINZ tomato in every bottle of HEINZ Tomato Ketchup is carefully selected for quality and color, giving it the deliciously thick and rich taste you love.
- To this day, a “57” mark can be found on most HEINZ products. On the iconic glass bottle, the engraving is intended to be the perfect spot to hit to enjoy ketchup pouring out at top speed: 0.028 miles per hour.
HEINZ kicked off the brand’s 150th Anniversary with the debut of HEINZ Ketchup Caviar, delicious tasting pearls of ketchup designed to elevate any ketchup lover’s meal.
And ketchup caviar was only the beginning. (How many times have you read that sentence?). The celebration will continue throughout the year with a dedicated marketing campaign featuring TV, print, in-store, digital, social, partnerships, and PR. Stay tuned – you’ll want to see what else we have to come.
Fans can follow the festivities and all things related to HEINZ’s 150th year at www.heinz.com, Facebook, and Instagram.
About The Heinz Brand
Founded by entrepreneur and food quality pioneer H.J. Heinz in 1869, HEINZ has been a staple in American households for 150 years. HEINZ is best known as the maker of America’s Favorite Ketchup® with 650 million bottles sold annually. The HEINZ Tomato Ketchup portfolio now includes varieties to meet every consumer taste, including Organic, Simply, and Sweetened only with Honey. HEINZ has continued its commitment to delivering great-tasting, high-quality products by expanding its family of products to include other favorites like HEINZ Yellow Mustard, BBQ Sauces, and now Real Mayonnaise. Whether it’s at the local diner, at the dinner table, at picnics or at barbecues, the thick and rich taste of HEINZ can be enjoyed with family and friends at any occasion.
