I remember sitting at the table.
I remember seeing the ketchup bottle.
I remember my dad saying something about the number.
But the actual explanation disappeared somewhere along the way.
Now, after learning the history, I wish I could go back and ask him:
“Dad, is this what you were talking about?”
Because if he was telling me about the “57 Varieties” story all those years ago, he knew something I completely forgot.
And if he wasn’t, then I have another mystery to solve.
A Number That Became More Famous Than the Products
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Heinz “57” is how successful the branding became.
The company originally used the phrase to communicate variety.
But eventually, the number became associated with a single product more strongly than almost anything else.
Ask someone what “57” means when they see it on a red ketchup bottle, and many will immediately think of Heinz.
