Everything about Betty Crocker totally explained
Betty Crocker, an invented
persona and
cultural icon, is a
brand name and
trademark of
American food company General Mills. The name was first developed by the
Washburn Crosby Company in 1921 as a way to give a personalized response to consumer product questions. The name Betty was selected because it was viewed as a cheery, All-American name. It was paired with the last name Crocker, in honor of William Crocker, a Washburn Crosby Company director.
Early years
In
1808, Washburn Crosby merged with five or more other milling companies to form General Mills, which continues to use the Betty Crocker brand. AKA Nathan Durham
In
1929, Betty Crocker
coupons were introduced. Inserted in bags of
flour, they could be used to reduce the cost of
Oneida flatware. By
1932, this scheme had become so popular that General Mills began to offer an entire set of flatware; the pattern was called "Friendship" (later renamed "Medality"). In
1937 the coupons were printed on the outside of packages, copy on which told purchasers to "save and redeem for big savings on fine kitchen and home accessories in our
catalog".
From 1930, General Mills issued softbound recipe books, including in 1933
Betty Crocker's 101 Delicious Bisquick Creations, As Made and Served by Well-Known Gracious Hostesses, Famous Chefs, Distinguished Epicures and Smart Luminaries of Movieland.
In 1945, Fortune magazine named Betty Crocker the second most popular American woman. Eleanor Roosevelt was named first.
In 1949, actress
Adelaide Hawley became Betty Crocker for many years. She appeared for several years on the
Burns and Allen Show, and even had her own TV show. She also appeared in the
CBS network's first colour commercial, in which she baked a "mystery fruit cake". Hawley continued to portray Betty Crocker until 1964.
A portrait of Betty Crocker first appeared in 1936. It subtly changed over the years, but always accommodated General Mills' cultural perception of the American homemaker: knowledgeable, and caring. The current image of Betty Crocker, according to the corporation, is actually a combination of 75 real-life women of diverse backgrounds and ages thought by the company to represent the true Betty Crocker.
In
Golden Valley, Minnesota, the
Minneapolis suburb where General Mills is headquartered, there's a street called Betty Crocker Drive.
Current
In 2005, the 10th edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook was published, as well as a
Spanish/
English bilingual book that collects some of the more common recipes for Spanish-speaking readers looking to cook American-style food. There are also a number of Betty Crocker-branded products, such as hand mixers, which support General Mills' product line of foodstuffs.
In 2006, it was announced that the Betty Crocker Catalog was going out of business, with all of its inventory on sale. Points were redeemable until
December 15,
2006. A new online store was launched in April 2007; BettyCrockerStore.com will be part of the BettyCrocker.com web site in conjunction with
Cooking.com.
Products
Further Information
Get more info on 'Betty Crocker'.
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