Heinz Revamps the Classic Ketchup Bottle

I am a huge fan of Stuart Elliot's column in The New York Times. Most days, I physically smile when I see the email notifying me a new article is available for my viewing pleasure. Today was no different. The topic du jour was the revamping of the classic Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottle. This is the first "major" change to the bottle label since the 1940s, according to Heinz. The familiar green pickle that could always be found on the front label will now be moving to the top of the white cap on each bottle. It is being replaced by a red ripe tomato still on the vine along with the phrase "Grown not made."

From a purely graphical standpoint there have been a few tweaks made as well, including the name "Heinz" being printed in a bolder font, the word "tomato" is now larger than the word "ketchup", and the slogan "57 varieties" is being moved from the narrow label around the bottle's neck to the main label. I had to think twice when I heard about the placement of the slogan "57 varieties" because I thought it had always been present on the main label...seems I have become one of those consumers who imagine my own brand labels... I think these changes do a nice job of giving the product a more fresh, updated look. Also, the increased emphasis on the word "tomato" and showing an image of a tomato still on the vine is very much inline with the current trend of consumers knowing where their food comes from.

The article briefly discussed this trend and how Heinz paid special attention to this trend when looking at this label redesign. After reading this my mind immediately went to the recent Campbell Soup TV commercials focusing on the farmers who grow the vegetables that make up Campbell's Soup- and that's exactly the campaign Elliot referenced! He then goes on to speak with people who worked on the campaign to discuss why the new phrase "Grown not made" is so important. In keeping inline with the fact that most household buying decisions are made by women in the U.S., Heinz wanted to include a phrase that would open women's minds to ketchup being a "wholesome" food.

One of my favorite quotes came from a Heinz brand manager based in London (where the ad campaign originated last April), "Moms want to feel happy and secure giving ketchup to their kids." Wow. If that isn't waiting for a Rapaille culture code, I don't know what is! Although Rapaille says the culture code for food in the U.S. is "fuel" I can actually see how the code may also include "wholesomeness" or "security." Yes food is fuel, but parents want to make sure it's the best fuel possible.

I find it especially interesting that this campaign started off in the U.K. but has garnered enough attention to catch the eyes of the Heinz North American executives, who are now morphing the campaign to fit in the U.S. The new campaign is scheduled to launch in April or May of this year. I can't wait to keep my eyes open and see how it goes!