Heinz 57 is a shortened, popular form of the "57 Varieties" slogan ofPittsburgh's H. J. Heinz Company. In its early days, the company wanted to advertise the great number of choices of canned and bottled foods it offered for sale. Although the company had more than 60 products in 1892, the number 57 was chosen because the numbers "5" and "7" held special significance to Heinz. The number "5" was Henry John Heinz's lucky number and the number "7" was his wife's lucky number. The company now has more than 6,000 products. Prepared horseradish was their first product.

In response to the question "What does the '57' stand for in Heinz’s famous slogan, '57 Varieties?'" the Heinz company's official Web site states:"While riding a train in New York City in 1896, Henry Heinz saw a sign advertising 21 styles of shoes, which he thought was clever. Although Heinz was manufacturing more than 60 products at the time, Henry thought 57 was a lucky number. So, he began using the slogan '57 Varieties' in all his advertising. Today the company has more than 5,700 products around the globe, but still uses the magic number of '57.'"

Although the company does not often use the slogan on its products today, the number 57 remains pervasive in its corporate culture and is known worldwide (although younger generations are markedly less familiar with it). In the United States and Britain, the number 57 is still printed on the packaging of various Heinz products.

The slogan is printed on Heinz pickle pins that are distributed by the millions. Heinz 57 is also the name of one variety of Heinz steak sauce and is distinctive from other steak sauces in its color and flavor. Heinz 57 Sauce is a reddish sauce with a taste more akin to spicy ketchup than to other steak sauces. Heinz often markets the sauce as "ketchup with a kick" to highlight this distinction.

The relatively high viscosity and pseudoplastic nature of ketchup can make pouring it from a glass bottle somewhat difficult and unpredictable, and several urban legends surrounding this phenomenon have arisen. According to one popular folk remedy, repeatedly hitting the "57" mark on a glass Heinz ketchup bottle makes the ketchup pour out more quickly and easily. The New York Times claims this is a matter of intentional design, with Heinz having placed the "57" mark on that particular spot of the bottle as a target for consumers to hit.

The name Heinz 57 is also sometimes used to describe a dog which is a mix of multiple breeds. It could also be slang to refer people of multiple ethnicity.

In a game of bingo, it is common to hear "Heinz variety" being called out to represent the number 57, in the same way that "two little ducks" represent 22 and "two fat ladies" for 88.

Retired NHL player Steve Heinze wore jersey number 57 for a portion of his career.

References

1. Heinz - Trivia
2. http://slang.otheday.com/2008/01/heinz-57/
3. http://www.librarydiversity.info/HO_Session2D_5.pdf
4. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=heinz+57

External links

• The story of "57 Varieties"