The Eclectic Chalkboard

AND THE AWARD FOR BELABORING THE OBVIOUS GOES TO …

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ikoka/2844206310/

I recently had to buy a bottle of ketchup and I must admit that I don’t pay particular attention to what’s on the label. Front or Back. But because of a tv commercial I saw only a few days before, I did notice the label this time.

It was Heinz new label. The one without the pickle. The one with the tomato.

Supposedly it’s big news to some people, but I doubt if most people really care.

One thing, however, did stand out. Their tagline: “Grown Not Made®.”

Of course, they’re talking about their tomatoes. Surprise! They grow theirs.

Not surprised? Me either.

Hello? Heinz? Are you kidding me? You grow your tomatoes?

Ummmm. Doesn’t everybody?

So I spent a few minutes googling ketchup. And I was right. Of those manufacturers who use tomatoes in their ketchup, they all use grown tomatoes. I couldn’t find a single example of a ketchup maker who used ungrown tomatoes. Not one. (Although I will admit that I didn’t check out all 16 Million search results for ketchup, so if anyone knows of a manufacturer who is using ungrown tomatoes, please feel free to correct me.)

So there I stood in the condiments aisle. Staring at the “new” label.

I was stunned with lack of surprise, and shocked by the revelation of nothing new. Imagine that. Tomatoes grown, not made.

Now had they revealed that, for example, “Soylent Green is people,” that would have been worth the hoopla.

But something like, “Hey everybody, we’re spending millions and millions of dollars to let you know that when we make our ketchup, we’re using tomatoes that are grown,” just isn’t worth the attention.

And yet, here I am, giving it more unneeded attention.

Sorry.