The Real Reason Heinz Bottles Say “57” – It Has Nothing to Do With the Number of Products
Take a look at almost any bottle of Heinz Ketchup and you’ll spot one of the most recognizable numbers in advertising: 57.
Most people assume it refers to the number of products the company once made. It sounds logical—but it’s not true.
In fact, when the famous slogan was introduced in 1896, the H. J. Heinz Company already offered well over 60 products. So why did the company choose 57?
The answer begins with a simple train ride.
One day, company founder Henry J. Heinz noticed an advertisement promoting “21 Styles” of shoes. The slogan caught his attention immediately. He realized that attaching a memorable number to a brand could make it feel larger, more established, and easier for people to remember.
Inspired by the idea, Heinz decided to create his own slogan—but instead of choosing the actual number of products his company sold, he selected a number that simply felt right.
According to Heinz, 5 was his favorite number, while 7 appealed to him because he considered it especially memorable. Together, they became “57 Varieties.”
The phrase wasn’t meant to be a mathematical fact. It was a branding decision—one that would become one of the most successful marketing ideas of all time.
Over the years, “57 Varieties” appeared on bottles, signs, delivery wagons, advertisements, and store displays around the world. Even as the company’s product lineup grew into the hundreds, the slogan remained unchanged because customers had already connected the number with quality and trust.
The famous “57” even became part of ketchup culture. Many people discovered that tapping the embossed 57 on a glass ketchup bottle—not the bottom—helps the ketchup flow more easily, turning the number into more than just a logo.
More than a century later, those two digits remain one of the most recognizable symbols in the food industry.
The story of Heinz’s 57 is a reminder that some of the world’s greatest marketing ideas aren’t built on complicated strategies or perfect accuracy. Sometimes, they’re built on a simple idea that people never forget.
In the end, 57 wasn’t chosen because it was true—it became legendary because it was memorable.
