Heinz pickle pin

[1] Being continuously offered for more than a century, and with more than 100 million pins produced over the years, it is both one of the longest-running and most successful promotions in history.

[2][3] The original pins were made from gutta-percha, a resin material which was a predecessor to modern plastics, and widely used in the 1800s for dental fillings,[2] jewelry, and insulation for wiring.

Whether this is literally true is speculative, but the Heinz company has stuck with this line, even including the preceding quote in a 1999 press release.

The success of the pickle pin promotion has achieved almost legendary status, including a story that several of the first-floor fair exhibitors sued Heinz for unfair competition, while the second floor vendors, swamped with guests because of the traffic Heinz drew, threw a gala dinner in his honor.

The pier was a popular tourist attraction, featuring a museum, food samples, and free pickle pins.

Heinz gave out pickle pins on the pier for nearly half a century and still do to this day at the nearby Atlantic City Historical Museum.

Today, Heinz distributes the pins mostly one-by-one, by mail, for free to people who write in to their corporate address to request one.

Rather than a pickle, the new pin was shaped like a red Heinz ketchup bottle,[6] complete with painted white cap and keystone-shaped label.