Gerber Baby: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Gerberbaby.jpg|thumb|<center> "Gerber Baby"]] |
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#REDIRECT [[Gerber Products Company]] |
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The '''Gerber Baby''' is the trademark symbol of the [[Gerber Products Company]].<ref name="Gerber1"> {{cite web|url= http://annturnercook.info/index.html|title= Ghost, Murders, and a Famous Baby Face...|accessdate= 2008-11-28}}</ref> |
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== History == |
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[[Fremont Canning Company]], own and operated by [[Frank Daniel Gerber]] and his son [[Daniel Frank Gerber]], was looking for a baby face for its new baby food campaign that was to start in the later part of 1928. <ref name ="Ingham444> Ingham, p. 444 </ref> |
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To find a baby face they felt would most represent their new baby food product the Fremont Canning Company conducted a contest in the summer of 1928. Many drawings and paintings were submitted. Some were elaborate oil paintings of baby portraits while other were just simple sketches. Dorothy Hope Smith of Boston, an artist specializing in children’s drawings, submitted an unfinished charcoal drawing that was closer to a simple sketch than a professional drawing.<ref name = "heim123"> Heim, p. 123 </ref> This five month old baby was with tousled hair, bright blue eyes, and round pursed lips. It was of [[Ann Turner Cook]]. She told the judges that if the sketch was selected as the winner she would finish it professionally. The drawing was selected to be the winner, however to her surprise the judges wanted it just the way it was sketched with no modifications.<ref name = "Avakian75> Avakian, p. 75 </ref> |
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The "Gerber Baby" symbol was initiated to help identify the new product in 1928. It was first used in an advertisement placed in [[Good Housekeeping]] for baby food. Within sixty days "Gerber Strained Foods" using the "Gerber Baby" symbol had gained national recognition and it was distributed to various places throughout the United States. It became internationally recognized before long.<ref name ="Ingham444/> |
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The campaign got mothers of newly borns to participate directly in a coupon redemption program. The introductory offer was that for the name of a favorite grocer they could receive six cans of the canning company’s soup and strained vegetables for only a dollar. The idea was to stress the nutritional value of its baby foods as well as the bonus features that it was time-saving and economical as compared to buying by prescription. The sketch was so popular that the Fremont Canning Company made it their official trademark in 1931. The Gerber Baby has since appeared on all Gerber packaging and in every Gerber advertisement.<ref name ="Ingham444/> |
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Ann Turner Cook is said to be the world's best known baby because of the company’s trademark.<ref name="Gerber1"/> The baby face has come to personify the company’s commitment to a happy healthy baby.<ref name="Gerber2"> {{cite web|url= http://www.gerber.com/About/Gerber_Baby.aspx|title= The Gerber baby story|accessdate= 2008-11-28}}</ref> |
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The Fremont Canning Company changed its name to Gerber Products Company in 1941. In 1996 the company revealed its first new label in more than 40 years. Sixty eight year old Ann Turner Cook was at the company’s introduction. She is a mystery novelist and retired English teacher. For many years she has stayed under the radar, however lately she has granted several Florida newspapers interviews.<ref name = "heim123"/> |
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The company is in the process of looking for the next Gerber Baby. There was once a [[poll]] done in the United States and it showed that many people thought that the Gerber Baby became someone famous like [[Humphrey Bogart]], [[Elizabeth Taylor]] or [[Senator Bob Dole]].<ref name="Gerber2"/> |
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The Gerber Baby tradmark has been shown by the United States public to be of the highest consumer loyalty, according to a 1998 survey.<ref name = "Avakian75/> |
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== Footnotes == |
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{{reflist}} |
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== Sources == |
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* Avakian, Arlene Voski et al, ''From Betty Crocker to Feminist Food Studies'', Liverpool University Press (2005), ISBN 1-5584951-1-8 |
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* Heim, Michael, ''Exploring America's Highways'', Exploring America's Highway (2004), ISBN 0-9744358-2-1 |
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* Ingham, John N., ''Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders: A-G'', Greenwood Publishing Group (1983), ISBN 0-3132390-7-X |
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[[Category:Companies based in Michigan]] |
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[[Category:Companies established in 1901]] |
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Revision as of 19:16, 28 November 2008
The Gerber Baby is the trademark symbol of the Gerber Products Company.[1]
History
Fremont Canning Company, own and operated by Frank Daniel Gerber and his son Daniel Frank Gerber, was looking for a baby face for its new baby food campaign that was to start in the later part of 1928. [2]
To find a baby face they felt would most represent their new baby food product the Fremont Canning Company conducted a contest in the summer of 1928. Many drawings and paintings were submitted. Some were elaborate oil paintings of baby portraits while other were just simple sketches. Dorothy Hope Smith of Boston, an artist specializing in children’s drawings, submitted an unfinished charcoal drawing that was closer to a simple sketch than a professional drawing.[3] This five month old baby was with tousled hair, bright blue eyes, and round pursed lips. It was of Ann Turner Cook. She told the judges that if the sketch was selected as the winner she would finish it professionally. The drawing was selected to be the winner, however to her surprise the judges wanted it just the way it was sketched with no modifications.[4]
The "Gerber Baby" symbol was initiated to help identify the new product in 1928. It was first used in an advertisement placed in Good Housekeeping for baby food. Within sixty days "Gerber Strained Foods" using the "Gerber Baby" symbol had gained national recognition and it was distributed to various places throughout the United States. It became internationally recognized before long.[2]
The campaign got mothers of newly borns to participate directly in a coupon redemption program. The introductory offer was that for the name of a favorite grocer they could receive six cans of the canning company’s soup and strained vegetables for only a dollar. The idea was to stress the nutritional value of its baby foods as well as the bonus features that it was time-saving and economical as compared to buying by prescription. The sketch was so popular that the Fremont Canning Company made it their official trademark in 1931. The Gerber Baby has since appeared on all Gerber packaging and in every Gerber advertisement.[2]
Ann Turner Cook is said to be the world's best known baby because of the company’s trademark.[1] The baby face has come to personify the company’s commitment to a happy healthy baby.[5]
The Fremont Canning Company changed its name to Gerber Products Company in 1941. In 1996 the company revealed its first new label in more than 40 years. Sixty eight year old Ann Turner Cook was at the company’s introduction. She is a mystery novelist and retired English teacher. For many years she has stayed under the radar, however lately she has granted several Florida newspapers interviews.[3]
The company is in the process of looking for the next Gerber Baby. There was once a poll done in the United States and it showed that many people thought that the Gerber Baby became someone famous like Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor or Senator Bob Dole.[5]
The Gerber Baby tradmark has been shown by the United States public to be of the highest consumer loyalty, according to a 1998 survey.[4]
Footnotes
Sources
- Avakian, Arlene Voski et al, From Betty Crocker to Feminist Food Studies, Liverpool University Press (2005), ISBN 1-5584951-1-8
- Heim, Michael, Exploring America's Highways, Exploring America's Highway (2004), ISBN 0-9744358-2-1
- Ingham, John N., Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders: A-G, Greenwood Publishing Group (1983), ISBN 0-3132390-7-X