The Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottle is an icon recognized in restaurants in homes around the world, but it breaks the rules of "good design" by not fulfilling all of its functions efficiently. It protects and preserves the ketchup, but it does not enable it to be extracted quickly and easily. So why do millions still choose the glass bottle? A Heinz Tomato Ketchup ad. Photo: H.J. Heinz Company The Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottle went through many incarnations before settling on its current design with the smooth neck and sturdy base. Photo: H.J. Heinz Company Some 75 percent of Heinz Tomato Ketchup is now sold in plastic bottles that are squeezable, eliminating the clogging problem that occurs when ketchup thickens; however, many appreciate the familiarity of the glass bottle. Photo: H.J. Heinz Company A billboard advertising Heinz's ketchup in the United States after World War II. Photo: H.J. Heinz Company A 1960s advertisement featuring Heinz's mascot, "Aristocratic Tomato Man." Some elements of the bottle's design, including the geometric silhouette of the label, have remained the same since 1882. Photo: H.J. Heinz Company A advertisement in a 1932 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Photo: H.J. Heinz Company An advertisement from the 1970s. The design of the bottle and label strikes a nostalgic note with customers. Photo: H.J. Heinz Company Chinese athletes in the Heinz Restaurant at the Beijing Olympics sports training center. "When a customer asks for ketchup, they generally want Heinz," said Jeremy King, who co-owns The Wolseley in London. "The iconic glass bottle reassures them that they are getting it." Photo: H.J. Heinz Company http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/12/style/20090412-KETCHUP_index.html