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Heinz 57

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For the dog, see Mongrel.
H. J. Heinz Company marketing material c.1909

Heinz 57 is a steak sauce. Its name comes the historical advertising slogan "57 Varieties" by the H. J. Heinz Company located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It was developed as part of a marketing campaign that told consumers about the numerous products available from the Heinz company.

History

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Heinz convention in Montreal in 1940 prominently featuring "57"

Henry J. Heinz introduced the marketing slogan "57 pickle Varieties" in 1896. He later claimed he was inspired by an advertisement he saw while riding an elevated train in New York City (a shoe store boasting "21 styles"). The reason for "57" is unclear. Heinz said he chose "5" because it was his lucky number and the number "7" was his wife's lucky number.[1] However, Heinz also said the number "7" was selected specifically because of the "psychological influence of that figure and of its enduring significance to people of all ages".[2] Whatever the reasons, Heinz wanted the company to advertise the greatest number of choices of pickles. In fact by 1892, four years before the slogan was created, the Heinz company was already selling more than 60 products.[3]

The first product to be promoted under the new "57 varieties" slogan was prepared horseradish.[4] By 1940, the term "Heinz 57" had become so synonymous with the company the name was used to market a steak sauce. Prior to that Heinz sold a “Beefsteak Sauce“ of unknown composition. [5]

Description

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In bingo in the United Kingdom, a commonly used call for "57" is "Heinz variety".[6]

In draw poker, "Heinz 57" is a variant where 5s and 7s are wild cards.[7]

A mongrel dog with more that two distinct breeds in its bloodline may be referred to as a "Heinz 57" [8]

In UK betting terminology, a 'Heinz' refers to a full-cover bet of doubles and upwards, consisting of six selections. It is known as a Heinz because there are 57 multiples (15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 fourfolds, 6 fivefolds and 1 sixfold) within the bet.[9]

The Heinz 57 is also a nickname for British Rail Class 57 locomotives.[10]

When Pittsburgh-based Heinz purchased the naming rights of Heinz Field in 2001, they signed a deal to pay the Pittsburgh Steelers $57 million until 2021.[11][12]

Former NHL player Steve Heinze requested to wear #57 when he was drafted by the Boston Bruins. However, the Bruins general manager Harry Sinden denied his request, stating that only Ray Bourque (#77) could wear an unorthodox number. Instead, Heinze wore #23 in Boston. He was granted #57 when he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets and he wore it for the remainder of his NHL career.[13]

Notes

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Footnotes

References

  1. ^ Rawsthorn, Alice (12 April 2009). "An Icon, Despite Itself". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  2. ^ "57 Varieties, Revealed | The Bleat". Lileks.com. 2010-01-27. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
  3. ^ "Trivia". Heinz. Archived from the original on 2018-03-24. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
  4. ^ "Trivia". Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Heinz 1934 Cookbook". Advertisingcookbooks.com. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
  6. ^ "Rhyming Calls in Bingo". Express Bingo. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  7. ^ "Heinz 57". poker.gamblefaces.com. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
  8. ^ "The Mystery of 'Heinz 57' Mutts: Unraveling the Mix". 2 May 2023.
  9. ^ Vaughan Williams, Leighton; Siegel, Donald S. (2013). The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Gambling. Oxford University Press. p. 369. ISBN 978-0199376698. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  10. ^ "List of UK railfan jargon – Trains". Train.spottingworld.com. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
  11. ^ Deckard, Linda (2001-06-25). "Heinz Pours Itself Into $57 Million Naming Rights Deal In Pittsburgh". AllBusiness.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  12. ^ "Stadium naming rights". Sports Business. ESPN.com. 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  13. ^ "Catching Up With Steve Heinze". Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
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