For decades, people have wondered why Heinz chose that particular number.
Why 57?
Why not 50?
Why not 100?
And why would a ketchup company need a number prominently displayed on its bottle in the first place?
The explanation goes back more than a century, to the early history of the Heinz company.
And here’s the surprising part:
The number 57 was not originally meant to indicate that Heinz had 57 varieties of ketchup.
That’s one of the most common assumptions about the famous number.
The real story is connected to marketing, branding, and a clever decision that helped create one of the most recognizable slogans in food history.
The Birth of Heinz
To understand the famous “57,” it helps to go back to the beginning.
The Heinz company was founded in the 19th century by Henry J. Heinz.
Heinz was involved in the food business at a time when packaged foods were becoming increasingly important.
