Heinz's trademark ketchup red gets a paint rival that's 'not for wieners'

[Marshy]

It looks like Stuart Semple is stirring the pot once again, and this time the stew is as red as ketchup. The British artist, known for his playful defiant approach to color, has introduced a new paint shade called ‘Sauce’, which clearly takes aim at Heinz’s iconic ketchup red.

 

This ultra-matte, flat red hue is vibrant, bold, and described as “not for wieners,” and it comes in a cheeky upside-down squeeze bottle, complete with a keystone label reminiscent of Heinz's famous branding.

 

 

‘Sauce’, crafted in limited batches and priced at $25.99, is the latest addition to Semple’s Culture Hustle collection. The rich, tangy red is cadmium-free and highly pigmented, offering full coverage with a satisfying matte finish. Semple and his team developed this particular paint in response to artists asking for a bright, opaque red that’s safe to use and eye-catching.

 

 

 

 

 

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The artist’s ongoing mission to “liberate” colors has already taken on a few notable shades. He’s best known for challenging Anish Kapoor’s exclusive hold on Vantablack, the world’s blackest pigment, by creating BLACK (now BLACK 4.0), which is accessible to everyone—except Kapoor, of course. Since then, he’s also given the world the “whitest white,” the “pinkest pink,” and the “goldest gold,” not to mention his playful twists on trademarked colors like ‘Incredibly Kleinish Blue’, ‘TIFF Blue’, and ‘Barbiest Pink’.

 

 

 

In the latest development, Semple has legally changed his name to “Anish Kapoor,” another affront to the famous artist.

 

Heinz, meanwhile, has a long history of defending its signature ketchup red. Identified as PANTONE 7626 C, this fire-engine red color is part of the brand’s visual identity, showing up on everything from the ketchup itself to its iconic label. In an effort to combat “ketchup fraud,” Heinz has even included the PANTONE code on its labels so consumers can verify the authenticity of their sauce by checking the color—a campaign it’s dubbed The Label of Truth. It also recently released its own limited-edition wall paint in the iconic shade.

 

Images: Culture Hustle