In addition to creating one of the world’s largest food companies, H.J. Heinz is remembered for his innovation in advertising and promotion. One of his smallest ideas was also among his most revolutionary, the pickle charm. Heinz debuted the now-iconic 1 1/4-inch resin pickle pin in 1893 at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. After realizing his company’s exhibition space was tucked away on the second floor of the Agricultural Building, Heinz knew he needed to find a creative solution to encourage people to visit his booth.
He enlisted the help of several local boys who scattered handouts offering a free souvenir to all who visited the Heinz exhibit. Thousands of people trekked upstairs to the Heinz booth to claim their free souvenir — so many that police officers were called to help control the crowds. The souvenir they claimed was a small, pickle-shaped charm, emblazoned with the company’s name. It was intended to attach to pocket watch chains. As one advertisement noted, “A man who found himself in a pickle was saved by one.”
Many fairgoers wore their new charms home, spreading the word about the company and revealing the ingenuity behind Heinz’s idea — he let the public do the advertising for him. By the fair’s end, one million pickle charms had been distributed and a story about the commotion they caused made its way into The New York Times. Other companies took note of the charm’s success and began giving away their own branded souvenirs, a strategy which became commonplace over time.
Other World’s Fair vendors who benefited from the traffic he drew to the otherwise deserted exhibition area threw him a party. Heinz’s pickle charm has changed only modestly over the years, transitioning through slightly different colors, styles, and shapes into the modern Heinz pickle pin. As the center of one of the longest and most effective promotions of all time, the Heinz pickle pin serves as an icon in promotional advertising.
On Sunday, visitors can bring vintage Heinz items and other collectibles with local ties to the Heinz History Center’s ninth annual Pittsburgh’s Hidden Treasures event. Visitors can meet with more than 30 professional appraisers who will discuss the historical significance of their items and provide a verbal assessment of potential monetary value as KDKA-TV cameras roam the museum.
Visitors to the Heinz History Center’s Heinz exhibition can see one of the original Heinz pickle charms from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and earn a free pickle pin by walking the SmartSteps exhibit. For more information, visit www.heinzhistorycenter.org.
First Published: August 4, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
