What The 57 Actually Means On Heinz Bottles

You may have noticed that the number 57, or more precisely, the phrase "57 varieties" is prominently featured on many Heinz ketchup bottles, as well as other sauces the company produces. Yet this number doesn't really relate to anything actually inside the bottle you're buying. For example, it has been theorized that it refers to the number of tomatoes that go into one bottle of ketchup, or the number of ingredients. It's actually a throwback to an old advertising slogan that Heinz used in the late 1800s.

That slogan was "57 Varieties," and it ostensibly referred to the number of products that Heinz sold in 1896, when founder Henry J. Heinz introduced it. He says he developed the idea after seeing an advertisement for "21 styles of shoes" and started believing that potential customers would gravitate more towards specific numbers instead of vague claims. Strangely, though, Heinz actually produced more than 60 products at the time the slogan was introduced, including the company's famous ketchup (which has barely changed since that era), alongside pickles and other sauces. The number 57 was apparently just a combination of Heinz's lucky number (5) with that of his wife's (7) — so, in short, it was made up.

This didn't seem to hurt Heinz's business, though, as the "57 Varieties" slogan rapidly spread across the company's products and advertisements by the turn of the century. Unsurprisingly, the number is even less accurate nowadays: The company sells thousands of products, including ever-changing sauce mashups like mayochup. So now, the slogan remains just an artifact of the company's former, smaller self.

Although Heinz now produces hundreds of products globally, the company seems to have held on to the 57 branding because it became a recognizable element of the company's packaging. The number is found not just on ketchup bottles but also on many other Heinz sauces. There has been some evolution, though. While the number started out as part of that "57 Varieties" slogan, the word "varieties" has shrunk on Heinz packaging over time, making 57 the dominant element of the brand. That said, it's not ubiquitous, and it's possible to find Heinz products that don't feature the number at all.

Keeping the 57 may also be a savvy way to lure people into talking about the brand — after all, the mystery behind the number led to this article. The 57 embossed on Heinz's glass ketchup bottles led to an urban legend that claimed it marked the perfect spot to tap on the bottle to make the ketchup flow smoothly. Perhaps to keep the story alive, the company has claimed this is an intentional part of the bottle design (although in reality, it may just be a coincidence). But really, the only clear purpose that the number serves in the 21st century is for branding, perhaps to remind us that Heinz is the king of ketchup — proving that while you can't own a number, this iconic brand has come as close as it can get.