Wednesday 6 November 2024

Would you eat these "meals in a jar"?

Make every day more interesting. Each day a surprising fact opens a world of fascinating information for you to explore. Did you know that….?

November 6, 2024

Original photo by Iana Miroshnichenko/ iStock

Gerber once attempted to launch a "meal in a jar" product for young adults.

The Gerber baby food company has long operated under the slogan "Babies are our business… our only business." But for a brief period in 1974, that promise wasn't exactly true. That year, the company unveiled Gerber Singles, a line of glass jars containing ready-to-eat meals that were advertised to young adults and college students. This new product was part of a larger effort by Gerber to expand its customer base in response to a 25% drop in the U.S. birth rate from 1960 to 1972, which heavily impacted the baby food market.

With the tagline "We were good for you then, we're good for you now," Gerber Singles were essentially advertised as whole meals for single people on the go or those who chose not to cook. Flavors included Beef Burgundy, Mediterranean Vegetables, and Blueberry Delight, and all you needed to do was heat up the jar and eat it right out of the container. However, Gerber Singles proved deeply unpopular, as the idea of eating pureed food out of a glass jar failed to catch on. People were also turned off by depressing ad campaigns that promoted Gerber Singles as food for "whenever you eat alone." The product rollout was a flop, and the jars were pulled from shelves after just three months.

Together with

Expand Your Horizons: Join 1440 Today

If you're frustrated by one-sided reporting, 1440's five-minute newsletter offers a refreshing alternative. They sift through 100+ sources to bring you comprehensive, unbiased news — free from political agendas. Stay informed with factual coverage on the topics that matter.

Sign Up

Thank you for supporting our sponsors. They help keep Interesting Facts free.

The Gerber baby was modeled after a young Humphrey Bogart.

The Gerber company is based in the state of __.

Numbers Don't Lie

Year Gerber became the first baby food company to advertise on TV

1951

Price Nestlé paid to acquire Gerber in 2007

$5.5 billion

Original Gerber flavors (strained peas, prunes, carrots, spinach, beef vegetable soup)

5

Cost of a jar of Gerber baby food in 1928 (~$2.75 today)

15¢

Advertisers help keep Interesting Facts free

"Cosmopolitan" magazine produced a failed line of yogurt.

Cosmopolitan magazine has long focused on healthy eating and diet culture, but its own foray into the retail food space left something to be desired. In 1999, Cosmo unveiled a short-lived line of low-fat yogurts and soft cheeses, which were discontinued after just 18 months. The product failed to catch on with a larger audience, as Cosmo chose not to advertise to the general public. Instead, it marketed the yogurt exclusively to readers of the magazine, which limited the potential customer base. The yogurt was also more expensive than its competitors, so despite offering tasty flavors such as cherry and peach, it failed to fly off the shelves.

Today's edition of Interesting Facts was written by Bennett Kleinman and edited by Brooke Robinson.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Our Most Tantalizing Facts About Food

Read More

Advertisers help keep Interesting Facts free

We love to collaborate. To learn more about our sponsorship opportunities, please connect with us here.
1550 Larimer Street, Suite 431, Denver, CO 80202

No comments:

Post a Comment

Don’t Call It the “Trump Trade”

It’s more about relief                                                 Tips, tricks, tutorials and even trade ideas? Get them all in my ...