Newsdeck

Newsdeck

Sheeran design Heinz Ketchup bottle sells for 1,500 pounds

(FILE) - British singer and songwiter Ed Sheeran attends a press conference for 'Songwriter' at the 68th annual Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), in Berlin, Germany, 23 February 2018 (reissued 29 June 2018). According to media reports, Ed Sheeran is sued for 100 million US dollar over alleged plagiarism of parts of Marvin Gaye’s 'Let’s Get It On' for his song 'Thinking Out Loud'. EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Three limited-edition bottles of Heinz Tomato Ketchup based on the tattoos of British songwriter Ed Sheeran, a dedicated fan of the condiment, sold at auction in London on Thursday, with one going under the hammer for 1,500 pounds ($1,816).

Only 150 of the “Ed Sheeran X Heinz Tomato Ketchup, the Tattoo Edition” bottles, featuring a copy of Sheeran’s own Heinz inking, will be available across the world.

The first three were sold for 1,050 pounds, 1,100 pounds and 1,500 pounds on Thursday.

Nigel Dickie, Kraft Heinz director of corporate affairs, said 150 of the bottles were made to mark Heinz 150th birthday.

“What’s special about them is that they have his tattoos on the label,” he said. “They’re part of the label, so it’s his sleeve on our sleeve.”

He said he suspected not many people would open the bottles, but they had “perfectly enjoyable ketchup” inside. Some 104 bottles will be the prizes in a free global draw, according to a statement linked on Sheeran’s Instagram account, and the remainder would go to Sheeran and Heinz superfans and museums.

All money raised from the bottles will be donated to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, a charity nominated by Sheeran, and Rise Against Hunger, which is supported by Heinz.

The 28-year-old star, who has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, is a long-time fan of the sauce and has the “Heinz Tomato Ketchup” label tattooed on his arm.

Earlier this year he teamed up with the brand to release “Tomato Edchup” and wrote and starred in a TV advert for the release. ($1 = 0.8260 pounds) (Reporting by Marissa Davison, Writing by Paul Sandle; Editing by Toby Chopra)

Gallery

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Become a Maverick Insider

This could have been a paywall

On another site this would have been a paywall. Maverick Insider keeps our content free for all.

Become an Insider

Every seed of hope will one day sprout.

South African citizens throughout the country are standing up for our human rights. Stay informed, connected and inspired by our weekly FREE Maverick Citizen newsletter.