The Heinz Wall 57 is composed out of 57 individual boxes, each with their own unique story to tell.
Eight of these boxes are highlighted below. Click on any of them to take a look inside and see how these boxes came to life.
Transparency is a key notion within the world of Heinz and has been ever since HJ Heinz put gratted horseradish into a clear glass jar in order emphasise the purity of the product. We echo this idea by using the transparency of the ketchup bottles turning them into discovery view finders. This installation becomes as much about its interactive nature as it does about its aesthetics, offering the viewer a sense of discovery as each bottle contains something different in the way of typography and imagery.
A Mantra for Heinz brought to life through a tactile typography installation. Using 1200 culinary forks to spell out the saying, this handmade installation was a labour of love. The canvas of grass adds the 'field' aspect to the piece and offsets the metallic of the forks creating a unique and contrasting visual feel. It was important to have the natural aspect of Heinz represented reminding us that most of the ingredients come from the ground. A running theme on the wall is the pallet of materials used to articulate all aspects of the Heinz world. This takes us on a journey from the farms and growing fields all the way to our dinner tables.
The Pickle pin was a revolutionary idea at the time of its conception and is another example of HJ Heinz's marketing genius. These lapel pins were given out at trade exhibitions as a 'freebie' by the heinz staff. These became so popular that other exhibitors accused Heinz of 'cheating' as they watched hundreds of people scramble to the Heinz stand to take a small part of Heinz away with them. This form of brand collateral is of course common place today but was unheard of in this context at the time. To celebrate this innovation in marketing the wall proudly wears the original pickle pin - albeit adapted in size. The backdrop here is a herringbone fabric commonly associated with suits that would have been worn by the salesmen at the time.
The face at the centre of the wall is the man at the centre of this incredible story. Henry John Heinz. His portrait anchors everything together as the rest of the contents radiates out around him. This portrait is not as it seems. It is made from tens of thousands of tomato seeds - the element at the source of Heinz most popular products and HJ's enormous success in both business and culinary terms. This one off pop portrait is framed with a hessian sack fabric and is a fitting way to celebrate a man who made 'common things, uncommonly well'.
You will find these wooden pallets right the way across the wall. The typography has been hand stencilled keeping faithfully to the original typography and layouts. These examples of industrial graphic design have been framed in their own right to celebrate their inherent beauty and showcases their effective mix of form and function. Examples of design and typography sun as these has today transcended their original status and have entered the visual landscape of popular culture influencing a whole new generation of artists and designers.
From a distance this cluster of colour resembles a city scape as seen from above. The roofs of these structures all reaching out at different heights in grid formation. On closer inspection you will find that these are in fact view finders showcasing back lit slides. Each one celebrating a brand or product from the world of Heinz. This concept responds to the desire to incorporate all the brands that make up the world of Heinz in a subtle and engaging fashion. The slides themselves are cropped and positioned to highlight the instantly recognisable nature of each brand, often showing just a section of the logo or packaging detail letting the visual language of the lines and colours do the talking. This is testament to the success of the products and their deep impact in todays popular culture. This is Heinz as city scape - a multi cultural metropolis of culinary delight. How many can you recognise?
The famous neon 57 sits on the roof of Heinz's Pittsburg office. The 57 slogan was another example of Heinz marketing nous. This installation fuses actual neon with a photo of the building creating a three dimensional twist the traditional photograph and gives an insight into the power of the '57' concept to draw you in.
In order to illustrate the role of the keystone in the design of the wall we have created this one of a kind painting. Using several key products from the Heinz range as paints, this composition is made up from Ketchup, BBQ sauce, Mustard, Tomato Soup and many more. It represents the creativity of the recipes and the complimentary nature of the product range. The composition of the keystones is the exact layout that created the wall and is the only place on the wall which offers this insight.