Adventures in vintage advertising: Heinz Ketchup

Like most of us, there are certain brands that I have always been especially fond of. Often they stir up a sense of nostalgia and bring many a childhood memory rushing to the surface. Case in point - and the subject of today's edition of Adventures in vintage advertising - Heinz Ketchup.

As a youngster, this was my very favourite store bought condiment to slather on anything from grilled cheese sandwiches to - much to my paternal grandma's horror – roast Christmas turkey. Though I still love pan fried sandwiches dipped gingerly into ketchup, I don't usually dunk the contents of my Christmas dinner into it any longer. Fun as that it may be, my have tastes evolved, as most people’s do as they age.

Still to this day, and in spite of the many different serious chronic illnesses (and food allergies) that I have to eat around/for, I can still enjoy a little bit of ketchup whenever I please, which is more than I can say for most store bought condiments and sauces.

Heinz ketch is iconic. Whether in the traditional glass bottle (you know the one - it either held onto its contents for dear life, despite thumping vigorously on the bottle, or quickly released half of its contents in one quick plop when turned upside) or the modern plastic squeeze bottles, it's safe to say that just about everyone, at least in the Western World, is familiar with this classic, zingy tomato based condiment.




{Looks like someone was predicting Costco sized bottles of Heinz ketchup before their was such thing as Warehouse grocery stores! I joke, of course, but this ad is an interesting bit of foreshadowing in regards to how big many packages, tins and bottles of food would quickly grow in the decades that followed it.}



Before we look at the lengthy and illustrious life of Heinz's classic offering however, it's worth briefly delving into the history of ketchup itself.

These days most people think of ketchup as being made primarily from tomatoes (and less commonly, mushrooms, bananas, walnuts, or beets, the latter being a great alternative for those who may not be able to eat, or don't like the taste of, tomatoes), but one very likely origin story says that this condiment - which is also known as catsup - started life centuries ago in China as a sauce made from pickled fish and various spices that was called kôe-chiap or kê-chiap.

A popular condiment, it's usage spread throughout Asia, including to Malaysia, where it found favour with the British explorers and colonists who were there at the time. The Indonesian-Malay word for this popular sauce was kecap, from which the anglicized ketchup would evolve.

Various types of ketchup have appeared in the years since those early pickled fish sauce versions, with mushroom ketchup being especially popular during the 1700s. One of (if not "the") first known written recipes for tomato ketchup appeared in 1801, later appearing in an American cookbook by Sandy Anderson called Sugar House Book. In fact, the bulk of early tomato ketchup recipes were American, with earlier forms of the sauce having come across the Atlantic with British colonists.

Though Heinz was not the first company or individual to sell prepared ketchup, they did get their foot in the door very early on,  launching their tasty offering in 1876. It has remained in production ever since and to this day Heinz holds the majority of the market share in most countries when it comes to commercially produced ketchup. The Heinz recipe would get some ongoing tweaking in its early days, becoming closer to the thick, subtly sweet form that we know today in the early years of the twentieth century.

By the mid-1930s, Heinz had even developed its own strains of tomatoes, engineered to grow varieties of tomatoes that were especially well suited to making ketchup. Three decades later, in 1968, Heinz would became the first company to start selling their ketchup in small, individual sized fast food style foil packets.

Another decade and a half later (and just a year before I was born), in 1983 Heinz brought the first plastic squeeze bottle for their product (earlier generic picnic style plastic squeeze bottles that one could decant store bought ketchup in glass jars into had been available since at least the 1950s) to the market and though some, especially restaurant owners, are still keen on glass jars, it didn't take long for plastic squeeze bottles to dominate in the arena of ketchup bottle popularity.

{A B&W photograph showing examples of some of the earliest styles of Heinz ketchup bottles.}

Right from the very beginning in 1876, Heinz packaged their ketchup in clear glass (later plastic) bottles to indicate the purity and quality of their product. This might not seem like a huge selling point today, but back during the Victorian era and early twentieth century, adulteration and inferior (sometimes even dangerous) quality premade foods were serious problem for consumers everywhere. By opting for a clear bottle, Heinz was stating matter-of-factly that they had nothing to hide and that they stood behind the quality of their products.

While Heinz is by no means the only ketchup manufacturer in the world (Hunts, another longstanding producer, is another popular brand, especially in America), they are definitely the most famous and beloved in many countries. Though I've known - and still know - some folks who say they prefer other brands (in some cases including in-house store brands like Safeway or Western Family), for me Heinz is, and has always been, my first choice when it comes to tomato ketchup and because I adore it so much, I wanted to shine the spotlight on it here today.

As Heinz was a very popular brand from the later decades of the 19th century onward, they were prolific marketers, advertising frequently in various publications, on billboards, through in store displays and elsewhere. This resulted in no shortage of ads, some more memorable than others of course, that we're still fortunate to have with us to this day. In the celebration of the scrumptious tradition of Heinz ketchup's place at the dinner (and breakfast, lunch and midnight snack) table, I've rounded up a selection of 18 different vintage Heinz ketchup ads from the 1900s to early 1960s that are sure to stir feelings of nostalgia and tap into your love of old school adverting alike.




{Phew, good to know! :D Jokes aside, the use of very dangerous chemicals and preservatives was a genuine problem in the early decades of manufactured food production and Heinz led the way on the ketchup front by doing away with it in the early 1900s. This informative ad dates from 1909.}




{Though it started out slightly different shaped, by the 1910s, Heinz's ketchup bottle had established such a classic shape that it could pass for a modern offering on today's grocery store shelves.}




{From very early on, Heinz adds have been vibrant and colourful, foreshadowing perhaps the fun, cheerful foods that ketchup would be/is so often partnered with.}




{Like many food brands, Heinz has long history of including recipes in its adds, such as this hearty 1920s dish of Carolina Meat Pie.}




{Whether this early 1930s Heinz ad was just trying to be cute, appeal to mothers, or really knew their audience, the brand's delicious red sauce has been a big hit with kids from the get-go.}




{If all it takes to achieve to achieve that goal is a bottle of ketchup, you may have the easiest marriage ever! :D}




{"Every woman's magic wand!" proclaimed this 1930s Heinz ketchup ad of its star player's ability to add pep and flavour to any dish a woman could cook up for her family.}




{The notion that a bottle of Heinz ketchup made for a happy, contented hubby was a common theme amongst the company's many ads throughout the 1930s.}




{As the 20th century rolled onward, Heinz's popularity continues to soar and spread even further afield, as this 1935 ad illustrates by pointing out that their ketchup has already become a firm favourite in 110 countries.}




{Heinz rang in the 1938 New Year by proclaiming Season's Best and the best seasonings to one all!}




{A year later in 1939, Heinz called on memories of the past, back when families had to make ketchup at home by hand, and a charming illustration to help sell their already best selling tomato condiment.}




{Heinz was by no means alone in the mid-twentieth century by attempting to appeal to female customers by assuring them of their husband's happiness if they purchased the product in question, but it was a particularly common theme for the brand who continued to do it into the 1940s, as with this cute Valentine's Day ad, and beyond.}




{Sliced white bread gets the royal treatment from Heinz in this 1940s ketchup ad featuring recipes for five delicious new ways to serve chopped mint (hint, hint, they all involve ketchup! :D).}




{That's quite the claim indeed (though, really, who's arguing - their ketchup is marvelous and certainly highly valued by countless customers), but it's one that Heinz had no qualms with making back in 1950. One can't help but wonder what company might be so bold as to say the same today?}




{Certainly part of the appeal of Heinz ketchup has long been the fact that it was a food that you could find almost anywhere you went, not just in your own kitchen, but when dinning on the go as well. I firmly believe this has been an important part of the brand's longevity and stronghold on their market.}




{Holy mid-century cooking, Batman!!! :D The award winning recipes in this 1957 ad for Heinz ketchup might not be for everyone (then or now), but they do certainly sing with the quirky culinary spirit of the era.}




{Though some ketchup fans may argue differently, this statement has always rung true for me. I love Heinz's taste and how, to my taste buds, it has the perfect balance of sweet and savoury.}




{Like countless brands in many fields during the 1950s and 60s, Heinz cashed in on the popularity of the day for the exciting space race (and airline travel) that was underway when they wrote the copy for this 1950s advert.}




{You and Heinz put 2.5 pounds of tomatoes on the table to enjoy at every meal boasted this vividly red ketchup dating to, or right around, the early 1960s. I wonder what the weight in today’s hefty 1.5 liter plastic bottles would be?}

{To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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Okay, at the risk of sounding terribly cliché, I really am in the mood for ketchup now! Here is Canada, one of the key foods that we use this robust tomato condiment on is Kraft Dinner macaroni and cheese, as well as mac and cheese in general, be it store bought or homemade. Like most countries we also use it on French fries, onion rings, hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken nuggets/fingers, plus oodles of other dishes.

There's no shortage to the ways one can ultize ketchup, whether as a dipping sauce, condiment or ingredient in a dish itself (such as bbq ribs or pasta sauce). Here in my home and native land of Canada, we also have a long standing tradition of making a ketchup cake - which, much like tomato soup cakes, I promise you, you can't taste the ketchup in once it's baked.

Tomato ketchup is, and has long been, a fun, classic, readily available, generally inexpensive condiment. It's uses are endless and its sweet, subtle vinegar-y, pleasantly spiced tomato flavour has continued to appeal to generation after generation for many decades now (and in the case of Heinz's offering in particular, for 139 years), just as I suspect it always will.

So while I may no longer bat my little eyelashes and politely ask (re: beg) my grandma to have ketchup with my Thanksgiving dinner, I still adore and use it often. And on that note, I'm thinking that I'll whip up a turkey meatloaf tonight, with ketchup used as both an ingredient and topping (along with sharp cheddar cheese). Hey, one's tastes might evolve as they grow up, but that doesn't mean they have to change entirely! :D