BETTY CROCKER: The Old and New
BETTY CROCKER Filled Need for Signature
Who was Betty Crocker? This queen of the kitchen was “born” in 1921 as a result of an advertising gimmick.
Betty Crocker, as she originally
appeared. From the February,
1950, Good Housekeeping
magazine. She was a home-
maker in her mid-40’s and
dressed simply and
inexpensively.
General Mills ran a picture-puzzle contest that year, to publicize Gold Medal flour. The contest was run in a national magazine; the prize for working the puzzle correctly was a tiny pincushion shaped like a bag of Gold Medal flour.
The response overwhelmed the office staff, as they were half-buried under 30,000 completed puzzles. In addition to the puzzles, however, they were also inundated with questions. Many hundreds of women wanted General Mills to answer their baking questions, such as “How long should I knead bread dough?”
(see “The Vintage Art of Bread-Making” for the answer).
Surprised but game the advertising staff decided a reply should be sent to each of these questions. With help from a variety of sources, ranging from their wives to nearby home economists, answers were found and replies drafted. Since help had come from many places, they were still left with the dilemma of how to sign the response.
‘Betty Crocker’ Grows Younger
The last name was chosen first. William G. Crocker, who had been a popular director of the company, had recently retired and his surname was selected. Then the advertising staff searched for a good all-American “homey” name – and decided on Betty. Thus, that well-known authority on American cooking, Betty Crocker, came into being.
Betty Crocker was given a new look in
1955. She shed a few years from her
age and modernized her hairdo.
Several “portraits” of Betty Crocker have been reproduced over the years. The first of these was painted 15 years after her “birth.” It, too, was a composite, a blend of the features of several of several General Mills employees. Each version “modernized” her, but she always has remained a blue-eyed brunette.
This article originally appeared in “Old Stuff” News, dated April/May, 2002. A special thanks for their permission to reproduce the article. “Old Stuff” is published 4 times annually. It is distributed throughout the Northwest. Free at your favorite antique or collectible shop. Single copies by mail $6 each. Annual subscription: $20 (Canada, $35 U.S.). Visit them at http://www.oldstuffnews.com
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Tim
