Squeezing Out Innovation

nikki — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 05:15:53 +0000

Imagine this. It’s a warm summer afternoon and your burger is hot off of the grill. You have everything prepared and all that the burger needs is a dash of Ketchup. So, you grab for the glass bottle and repeatedly hit the bottom of the bottle with no luck. Now, you try the old trick of sticking a knife into the bottle’s neck to dislodge the contents. Finally, you have that dollop of ketchup you so patiently worked for, for the past minute.

As much as we love Ketchup, we don’t really love the effort that goes into getting that delicious tomato product out of its bottle. So, it seems a simple solution would be to put the classic glass bottle back onto the shelf and opt for the squeezable bottle. Not so fast, because sometimes that squeezable bottle can be just as annoying. One reason is the noise that it makes, which sometimes can make even the most mature person giggle. Secondly, how about that nice watery juice that seems to conveniently come out before your ketchup? Gross.

Possibly because of the annoying scenarios above and because ketchup sales fell flat, the H.J. Heinz Co., the world’s most dominant producer of ketchup, wanted to get people to eat more and, in turn, use more ketchup. That’s when Heinz set out to find a better way to get ketchup out of the bottle faster.

Heinz then had the idea to invent an upside-down ketchup bottle that emptied fast and clean. “Ready when you are” was the introductory slogan that Heinz used for their new invention.

But, just like most inventions, there can always be a better way to do something. In 1991, Paul Brown was working relentlessly in front of a molding press that was geared toward turning injections of liquid silicone into flexible, one-piece precision valves.

Brown joined forces with his mold-maker, Tim Socier, and they both came up with a valve that was a little silicone dome with right-angled slits cut in its top. When the sides of the bottle were pressed, the dome’s slits opened, reminiscent of a flower’s petals, and the contents would be released. When the pressing stopped, however, the air would be sucked back into the dome, causing it to retract and the slits to close.

In 2002, Heinz introduced its very own pour-from-the-bottom bottle that doesn’t leak, thanks to a variant of Brown’s patented valve invention. Additionally, the bottle won’t spew ketchup, because of the little grooved trap that runs around the cap.

On the other hand, maybe Heinz should take note of a new invention that’s on the rise from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that could further solve the ketchup dispensing problem.

MIT PhD candidate Dave Smith and a team of mechanical engineer and nano-technologists at the Varanasi Research Group have been addressing this dining problem.

What’s their solution? The LiquiGlide, a “super slippery” coating that is made up of nontoxic materials that can be applied to all sorts of food packaging. So far, ketchup and mayonnaise bottles have been the first test target.

LiquiGlide is unique because it’s a kind of structured liquid that has characteristics of both rigidity like a solid but also lubrication like a liquid. The substance can work with different types of packaging like glass and plastic and can be applied a number of ways including spraying the coating on the inside of the bottles.

Take a look at the LiquiGlide in action!

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2003764160_ketchup27.html

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679878/mits-freaky-non-stick-coating-keeps-ketchup-flowing

Images:

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2003764160_ketchup27.html

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3528/5708725963_323f59283a_z.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djwahGRi5iE

The post Squeezing Out Innovation appeared first on Davison.

Iconic Packaging Design: Heinz Ketchup

nikki — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:01:23 +0000

It’s everywhere. In the United States and across the pond, on tables in diners everywhere, it’s used on hot dogs, hamburgers and French fries alike. This iconic condiment, otherwise known as Heinz Ketchup, is used everywhere and it all began in 1869 when founder Henry Heinz packaged his first product.

But, before the idea of ketchup was even thought of, Henry Heinz first packaged freshly-grated horseradish. Unlike the packaging design we see today, his first product was packaged in a clear bottle, so that customers could see the purity of the product. This, in essence, was the first of his many innovations that would later come down the line.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the most poignant moments in Heinz Ketchup packaging design history!

In 1876, the first bottle of Heinz Ketchup was created and made its debut. But, it wasn’t until 1890 that the iconic packaging design of the glass bottle that we see today began to take shape.

Ketchup lovers, eat your hearts out, because in 1970, the Heinz Company introduced some “big” changes in packaging design, when the 32-ounce “Keg O’ Ketchup” made it to store shelves.

Thirteen years later in 1983, the innovation of Heinz rose to the surface when the company released their innovative packaging design of the first squeezable Heinz Ketchup bottle.

Innovative packaging design wasn’t solely devoted to the original Heinz ketchup bottle; rather, in 2000, the company developed green ketchup in EZ Squirt bottles to appeal to kids. It wasn’t a surprise when the new packaging designed geared towards kids became a huge hit.

If you were to open your refrigerator at this very moment, chances are good that you would have an upside-down bottle of Heinz Ketchup. However, this innovative packaging design of the upside-down bottle didn’t appear on the market until 2001; and, since then, customers have loved the convenience and easy storage that this particular packaging design offers.

When you hear dip and squeeze, you might think you are in the midst of an aerobics class. However, in 2010, Dip & Squeeze Ketchup was born and offered fast-food consumers three times the amount of ketchup, as opposed to traditional 9-gram packages. The following year, the product was introduced to store shelves everywhere and once again offered consumers an added element of convenience and the freedom to take Heinz Ketchup anywhere they pleased.

Now, most Heinz ketchup packaging designs are that of the squeezable bottle. However, glass bottles are still in diners and restaurants everywhere. In last week’s blog, we talked about companies that are following the green initiative and Heinz ketchup is another great example of a big brand trying to make a big difference in the environment. In 2012, the company released their PlantBottle packaging design, which is made from up to 30 percent renewable plant material and is 100 percent recyclable.

Throughout the world, Heinz sells over 650 million bottles annually. In addition to their iconic brand and their prominence on store shelves, audiences everywhere should keep an eye out during the 2014 Super Bowl, because Heinz will air its first halftime commercial in 16 years! We can’t wait to see how much creativity Heinz has “squeezed” into their 30-second spot!

Sources:

Heinz.com
Fastcodesign.com
Heinzketchup.com

The post Iconic Packaging Design: Heinz Ketchup appeared first on Davison.

Heinz Ketchup Archives - Davison

Squeezing Out Innovation

Iconic Packaging Design: Heinz Ketchup