HEINZ FIELD
Heinz Field Branding

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the NFL’s most iconic franchises with a rabid fan base (BD&E’s entire team might happen to bleed Black ’n Gold, too). When it came time to build their new stadium, they needed to find a naming partner who matched their history and status.

With the clock running down, H.J. Heinz Company secured the naming rights for Heinz Field. Luckily, this late in the game, Heinz had a partner with extensive knowledge of its corporate brand. BD&E was selected to develop a complete identity program for the stadium.

That job was a big one with the tightest of timelines: Embed the Heinz brand, globally known as the most widely used ketchup, into the new cutting-edge stadium. The goal? Amplify the rich history of the company with the rich history of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

BD&E used its experience with the Heinz brand to quickly develop a strategy for the new Heinz Field identity. But the challenge was a big one­—a 96′ wide Jumbotron with two 35′ ketchup bottles on top to be exact. The mark also needed to work on everything from directional signage and multistory banners to merchandise, cups, tickets and trinkets.

A modular approach to the visual identity provided powerful reinforcement for the Heinz brand while successfully accommodating the strong individual identities of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the University of Pittsburgh football teams.

That identity became so much more than a brand mark and signage throughout the stadium.

BD&E designed and then assisted in the production and installation of two giant Heinz Ketchup bottles that “pour” LED ketchup whenever the Steelers hit the “Red Zone.” That promotion became so popular, Heinz developed a nationwide in-store promotion for grocery retailers. BD&E then created a new promotional logo to successfully extend the Heinz brand into every NFL market.

This Red Zone campaign transformed an ongoing stadium promotion into a national product marketing tool.