Heinz is bringing back its glass ketchup bottle for its 157th anniversary

Heinz made the switch to squeezable plastic containers around the turn of the 1990s, phasing out the eight-sided, 14-ounce glass format that is now making its way back to retail, according to Adweek. A two-pack is priced at $14.99 at Walmart. Shoppers have been locked out of buying the bottle at retail for close to ten years.

The launch is tied to Heinz's "157 Years of Being Food's Best Friend" campaign, which marks 1869 — the year Henry John Heinz founded the company. Wieden+Kennedy New York produced a short film for the campaign called "Life of a Bottle," set inside a diner where a single bottle of Heinz passes between customers from morning to night — scored to Willie Nelson's cover of "All of Me."

"The glass bottle has become an icon," Kraft Heinz chief marketing officer Todd Kaplan told Adweek. "While our current bottles more functionally fit how people use ketchup today, they can't recreate the distinct experience of glass — the weight in your hand, the familiar look on the table, and the ritual of tapping the iconic '57' sweet spot to get the perfect pour." Kaplan cited the depth of consumer affection for Heinz as the reason the 157th anniversary presented the right occasion to put the bottle back on store shelves.

The glass bottle's return coincides with a broader push by Kraft Heinz to revive its U.S. condiments business. The company reported first-quarter net sales of $6.05 billion, topping Wall Street expectations, as CEO Steve Cahillane's brand investment strategy showed early results. According to Bloomberg, Cahillane noted that 35% of the company's portfolio was gaining or holding market share during the quarter, compared with just 21% in the same period a year ago.

Cahillane took the helm at Kraft Heinz in January and has committed roughly $600 million to marketing, sales, and research and development to revitalize the U.S. business. He also shelved a previously announced plan to split the company into two publicly traded entities, a decision that spared Kraft Heinz an estimated $300 million in costs this year.

Beyond its role as a condiment container, the bottle has earned a place in American cultural history — Andy Warhol rendered it in his work, and it now resides in the Smithsonian's collection. Inspiration for the "57 Varieties" slogan reportedly struck Henry J. Heinz in 1896 when he saw a shoe company advertising 21 varieties — even though his own company's product count had already surpassed 60. As for why 57 specifically, Gotlib told Adweek that family lore points to personal numerology — Henry Heinz favored the number five, while seven held the same significance for his wife.