Why One Heinz Ketchup Bottle Sold For Over $1800

In 2019, a bottle of Heinz Ketchup with a logo made to look like Ed Sheeran's famed tattoo sold at auction for $1,823.47. The coveted ketchup was one of 150 limited edition bottles (to commemorate Heinz's 150th birthday) with a label featuring the musician's tattoo sleeve with the Heinz logo. One might say that Ed Sheeran got a tattoo of the Heinz label to represent his love of the condiment, so Heinz Ketchup bottles got a tattoo to show their love for the British singer.

What likely was the priciest bottle of ketchup in history sold in a bidding war at Christie's Auction House in London. In total, three bottles were auctioned and sold for a combined amount of $4,437.10. Proceeds went to Sheeran's chosen charity, East Anglia's Children's Hospices, and Heinz's charity partner Rise Against Hunger. Other bottles were donated to modern art galleries and given away in online sweepstakes. 

The bottles, officially titled "Ed Sheeran x Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Tattoo Edition," feature the Heinz label, a rose, puzzle pieces, and other drawings included in Sheeran's tattoo sleeve on his left bicep. Each bottle comes in a novelty box resembling a guitar amplifier, which also includes a guitar pick and a letter of authenticity. While the tattooed condiments are super cool-looking on their own, likely what makes them so valuable (particularly to Sheeran superfans, also known as Sheerios) is that each is personally signed by the international chart-topper.

Ed Sheeran loves ketchup. In an interview with Howard Stern on Sirius XM (via Facebook), he confessed to keeping a bottle of ketchup in his bag at all times. His condiment obsession inspired his Heinz tat by tattoo artist Kevin Paul, who has inked other celebrities including Rihanna and Lady Gaga. According to Inked, Sheeran received the tattoo in Columbus, Ohio, at a stop during his 2012 tour. He posted a picture of the tat on Twitter, stating, "No one is too good for ketchup. Ketchup is too good for you."

In 2019, the musician reached out to Heinz (his favorite ketchup brand) to say he'd written a commercial about the condiment and, of course, the brand jumped at the chance to make it a reality. In a nutshell, the commercial features Sheeran in a fancy restaurant, pulling out a bottle of Heinz from his bag to pair with his gourmet farm-to-table meal. Apparently, this might not be too far off from real life, since reportedly, members of his entourage are made to carry bottles of Heinz for emergencies. Indeed, the musician doesn't appear to follow the rules when it comes to foods you should avoid adding ketchup to. 

To further the collaboration, Heinz released limited edition tattoo bottles were released. However, the tattoo bottles are actually the second ketchup logo collaboration between Sheeran and Heinz, the first being a bottle of "Edchup" that sold out quickly on National Ketchup Day on June 5, 2019.