Maybe it shouldn't have been the case, but the Steelers' most controversial offseason acquisition turned out to be the insurance company "Acrisure," which acquired the naming rights of the field formerly known as Heinz.
Heinz Field was a staple in Pittsburgh. A local ketchup company that coincided with the name of a famous Steelers and was easy to say. It was perfect. So when it became Acrisure Stadium, Steelers fans were none too happy with the change.
One would think the calling card of Heinz Field then, the giant ketchup bottles on both sides of the scoreboard, would have gone the way of the dinosaur. But whether it was always the plan or not, a cacophony of backlash led to one of the ketchup bottles being kept in front of the stadium and digital installations being made to recapture the gameday feel of Heinz Field.
While it still isn't quite the same, the Steelers' scoreboard does at least fill red in the red zone. So it's about small victories.
Why are the Heinz ketchup bottles sticking around Acrisure Stadium?
The Heinz bottles are hanging around Acrisure Stadium the same reason any other branding hangs around anywhere: Money.
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Shortly after the name change was announced, Heinz made a statement about the future of the brand's presence around the Steelers' stadium.
“We at Kraft Heinz are committed to the Pittsburgh community, and we’re not going anywhere,” Kraft Heinz spokesperson Lynsey Elve said in July, per Trib Live. “We can confirm there is an agreement and, not only is the Heinz Red Zone staying, but one of the iconic ketchup bottles will be featured at the stadium in a prominent location where visitors can get a coveted photo op."
In September, there was more follow up about the future of the signage.
The ketchup bottles at Acrisure are back (kind of)!
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 16, 2022
Heinz signed a multi-year deal as an official sponsor and the new signage and installations aim be up by the end of the 2022 season. pic.twitter.com/cz1OfVXR1C
Although the bottles are, naturally, less prominent, them still existing in some capacity is a win for Pittsburgh. Local brands being represented at stadiums is always good, even if they've ballooned into something far more as Kraft Heinz has.
Fallout of name change from Heinz Field to Acrisure Stadium
The name change away from Heinz Field to Acrisure Satdium left many Pittsburgh supporters who liked the previous name upset. Some players even weighed in, including legendary Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
I can't believe it, it doesn't seem right or real! Home will always be Heinz Field! I will never forget the last game, and all the amazing fans at FOREVER HEINZ! -- Ben.#ForeverHeinz
— BigBen7.com (@_BigBen7) July 11, 2022
(Thanks to @ThompsonFoto12 & @YinzerSzn for the great photos!) pic.twitter.com/BnYTDp9zEp
People even started a Change.org petition to have the stadium name reverted back.
Many wondered why Heinz didn't renew its sponsorship with the Steelers and keep its name in place. The company explained shortly after the new stadium deal was done that it all boiled down to one thing: money.
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The Kraft Heinz Company released a statement addressing their naming rights deal with the Steelers. They explained that they couldn't justify paying as much for the rights as Acrisure was willing to shell out.
While we worked diligently with the Steelers for several months around a new naming rights deal, they found a new partner willing to pay significantly more than we could justify.
That said, Heinz — a Pittsburgh company — isn't ending its sponsorship of the Steelers entirely. They are going to be a "significant, long-term partner" for the organization and outlined some work that the company will do for the Pittsburgh community.
While our name will no longer be on the stadium, Heinz will remain a significant, long-term sponsor of the Steelers and we’re excited to announce the details of our new partnership in the days ahead.
Kraft Heinz is committed to its ongoing support of the Steelers and the Pittsburgh community, in a city that is our co-headquarters. In addition to our partnership with the Steelers, we look forward to our continued support of organizations such as the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Grow Pittsburgh, as well as sponsorship of events like Picklesburgh, among others.
So, Heinz will still have a significant presence in Pittsburgh. It may just be a bit muted compared to when they had the stadium naming rights.
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Jacob Camenker contributed to this story
