True Yinzers know that Pittsburgh isn’t just a steel town - it’s also a ketchup town. Pittsburgh is the birthplace of the world’s #1 ketchup, the brainchild of the German-American food manufacturer Henry J. Heinz. Unsurprisingly, two of Pittsburgh’s most iconic signs are dedicated to its home-grown hero. The gigantic neon ketchup sign at the Heinz History Center was originally installed at the Heinz factory in the North Side in celebration of the company’s 125th anniversary. At its new perch in the Strip District, the 42.5 x 32-foot neon behemoth uses a stunning 55 watts of electricity to light a delightful ketchup pouring animation.
Not to be outdone, the 35-foot ketchup bottle signs are another jumbo-sized symbol of Heinz’s local roots. An important fixture in any Steeler fan’s life, the bottles started life together in Acrisure Stadium, then called Heinz Field, where they poured streams of neon ketchup whenever the Steelers entered the “red” zone. Though the stadium is no longer named after Heinz, one bottle sign has been reinstalled at Acrisure, while the other now adorns the Heinz History Center building.
Don’t be surprised that two of Pittsburgh’s most memorable signs are inspired by Heinz. Henry Heinz was what we in the sign business call a “signaholic”--he liked to put a sign on just about everything. Until the 1950s, the Heinz factory was topped with two 30-foot “57” neon signs that remained a fixture of the North Side until the 1950s. He also installed similar signs across the country, including New York City’s first large outdoor electric sign. No matter where they were in the country, the signs typically contained the keystone shape found in the company’s logo, a proud symbol of Heinz’s Pennsylvania origins.
Take a page out of Heinz’s book and give your business the iconic Pittsburgh signs of tomorrow. Call FASTSIGNS® of Pittsburgh at 412-344-5700 today!