It isn’t a claim that Heinz has exactly 57 kinds of ketchup.
It is a remnant of one of the company’s most famous marketing slogans:
“57 Varieties.”
The number was chosen as a memorable branding device, even though Heinz had more than 57 products.
Over the years, it became so strongly connected to the company that it eventually appeared on the ketchup bottle itself.
And that’s why a number that may initially seem completely random has become one of the most recognizable details in the food world.
The Real Lesson Behind the “57”
There’s actually a bigger lesson hidden inside this little piece of ketchup trivia.
Great brands are often built around simple ideas.
A memorable name.
A recognizable color.
A distinctive logo.
A clever phrase.
Or, in Heinz’s case, a number.
The number 57 was simple enough to remember and unusual enough to become distinctive.
More than a century later, people are still asking what it means.
