We love the packaging; there is no doubt about it! But we are also big fans of food. One of our favorite condiments is Ketchup, not just because of its delicious flavor, or for its curious story also, of course, for its iconic package!
For most of us, Ketchup is synonymous with tomatoes but, it wasn’t always like that, in fact, the traditionally American related condiment was a fish sauce originally from Asia!
Actually, the tomatoes were not into consideration for a long time on the menu; until 1876 when public opinion about this veggie made a big turn. Tomato ketchup acquired popularity not just for its flavor, also for being considerate a healthier option over the other types of Ketchup.
The Heinz Ketchup story starts in 1904 when the recipe finally cracked the secret of a tasty and preservative-free formula.
The bottle!
Make it clear – The glass
The glass bottle, with its particular shape, quickly became a standard shape for the Ketchup packaging.
“Every bottle of Heinz tomato Ketchup sold is see-through it’s no accident, it’s a design statement: Purity through transparency.”
Make it bigger – The size.
In 1970 Heinz sold the Keg O’ Ketchup,
holding 32 Ounces was one the biggest condiment bottles available in grocery
stores.
Make it practical – Squeezable bottle.
Make of bendable plastic, this bottle was a big hit! The customer was one squeeze away from getting the sauce; the design became so popular that the company stopped the production of the glass bottle.
Make it even more practical – Upside down the bottle.
The use of gravity improved the squeezing motion this making this packaging as popular than even other companies started to use the same design.
Make it green – Plant bottles.
The bottle uses the same design, but this one has 30% removable material, and it’s 100% recyclable. The bottle was created in a company’s big effort to reduce the environmental impact.
One of the fundamental characteristics of iconic packaging is its ability to innovate. To achieve it, make sure you identify the purpose of your product and the need that it is covering. Using the packaging as a tool, more than protecting the packaging, has the incredible potential of taking your product to another level. Are you ready to be iconic?
Facts
- Today Heinz sells more than 650 million bottles every year.
- The first product sold under the Heinz brand was horseradish on 1869.
- Ketchup used to be … Catsup!
- There is a Ketchup museum that you can visit
- Currently, Heinz sells more than 5700 products.
