Heinz Seeks Clarity

After over 60 years of keeping its bottle label essentially the same, Heinz recently realized that its label was having an identity crisis. Its new label replaced the pickle underneath "Heinz Tomato Ketchup" with a tomato on the vine and its new tagline: "Grown not made." Why was there a pickle there in the first place? The pickle was the Heinz brand symbol ever since the company's pins were shaped like pickles for its early offerings (sour gherkins and chow chow pickle) at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Where will the pickle go? The white top of each bottle. London design firm Vibrant made the colors on the label brighter as well as increasing the size and boldness of the Tomato Ketchup headline. 57 varieties is now on the label also instead of on the bottle's neck. While the design didn't really need an update from a visual standpoint, Heinz pushed forward because the design *did* need an update as far as changing its brand--the perceptions about the company held by the consumers. In today's economy, Heinz needed to reemphasize its quality and pure ingredients, especially facing competition from cheaper store brands and private-label products. The small changes are surely not enough to convince a competitor's loyal customer to switch to Heinz, but they are reflective of how Heinz stays up-to-date with consumer trends and needs and will do its best to keep its customers' loyalty.