Person holding a Heinz ketchup bottle above a hamburger that has ketchup on it

How do you update an icon in a field full of pretenders?

Bringing a beloved brand into the modern era demands a thoughtful, more sustainable redesign—and a deep understanding of why loyalists love it.

Heinz is one of the few brands out there that evokes genuine love. Ziba leaned into the neglected qualities that made it unique, to restoke the fires among the faithful.

  • Organic, artisanal, small-batch, exotic, local—the market for America’s favorite condiment was getting more fragmented and more competitive. And one of the world’s most iconic brands was in danger of losing its place at the top. To rebuild brand equity, Heinz needed to understand what made their brand so beloved, and redesign accordingly. They also saw an opportunity to reduce the amount of material used, to save on packaging costs while reducing their environmental footprint.

  • Ziba’s field research revealed a simple concept that held the answer to Heinz’s competitive threats: love. Other brands were exciting, affordable, unique…but only Heinz held a place in consumers’ hearts. So Ziba doubled down that love, by simplifying the product line and emphasizing what made the brand so special: its thickness and richness, and its unmistakable visual elements. An updated cap and bottle design captured those elements, making them instantly recognizable, and instantly lovable. Reducing the number of SKUs helped focus the product line, while making it more energy- and material-efficient for the manufacturing and filler lines.

  • Ziba’s redesign celebrated Heinz’s heritage among loyalists, putting classic elements like the faceted-scalloped bottle shape, the keystone-shaped label, and the raised “57” front and center. The streamlined range of new bottle and cap designs also saved over $10M per year in packaging costs.

  • Gray foam material being machined into ketchup bottle forms
  • Several gray ketchup bottle forms stacked in a group, labeled with handwritten white letters and numbers

Hand holding a Heinz ketchup bottle upside down

Brand equities:

  • Thickness and richness
  • Unique faceted-scalloped bottle shape
  • Raised “57”
  • Keystone-shaped label—referencing Heinz’s roots in Pennsylvania, the Keystone State

$10M

Annual reduction in packaging costs

The Kraft Heinz Company is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies.

  • Design Strategy

  • Brand Insights

  • User Insights

  • Communication Design

  • Product Design

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