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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Girlz Day Out

Girlz Day Out is something that a couple friends and myself do every so often. Sometimes it's just a lunch date. Other times it's a long distance adventure. We don't have a set time to do this like once a month or every other month. Just whenever we're in the mood. This past Saturday was the day. We had planned a visit to a thrift shop in a YWCA in a town about 30 miles west of here. This shop is a fund raiser for the local domestic violence ministry. My friends and I all found items we couldn't live without. Of course it helped that the black and red plaid wool jacket I bought was $2.50 and the voile pink and black floral big shirt I liked was $3.00. My friends also bought jackets and blouses. It happened also to be a beautiful, sunshiny day. Our next stop was the Jello-o museum. Though this is relatively close to us (30 miles) but none of us had ever been there. The museum is a small unassuming building but the history of Jell-o is magnificent. We had a guided tour by a Jell-o expert who led us into the museum, bid us to sit down on a bench, like school children, while he regaled us with Jell-o history.
The product had a very difficult birth. The first couple owners could not make it a commercial success. The company was sold a couple times for very small amounts - like 35.00 one time and 450.00 another time. Finally it became the property of a gentleman with VISION. The year was 1899 and most American housewives had never heard of a jelled dessert. Also - just add water - was a totally new concept to them. Many did not have refrigeration but did have methods for cooling (like ice) and Ice Boxes, springhouses, etc. A MARKETING STRATEGY was initiated. The Jell-o executive hired and trained a sales crew, dressed them in business attire, provided transportaion for them to go on the road with samples. His directions to his salesmen: give the product away for free. Visit every home. At one, give a packet of Jell-o. At the next, give away a recipe book.
He paid sales calls to the grocers and encouraged them to stock Jell-O on their shelves. Then it went viral. And the rest is history. The museum had advertising campaigns to show us. Large original oil paintings which were reproduced in newspapers and magazines. By the time radio and television arrived on the scene, all the biggest celebrities got in on the Jell-O buzz. Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Kate Smith, Lucille Ball plugged Jell-O on their programs. Bill Cosby was Jell-O spokesman for thirty years.
The early packaging was designed by the the Kewpie Doll founder. Therefore, it was very Kewpie Doll-ish. See picture above. Jell-O has a long and industrious history with many, many products following the original jelled dessert. Next came Jell-O pudding, then both instant Jell-O and pudding, then sugarless, pudding pops, jigglers and, the latest - Jell-O shots (made like a jiggler but with vodka instead of water) (for adults only). We thoroughly enjoyed our jaunt to Jell-O Land but we were only at the half-way mark on our Girlz Day Out. The Town's Historical Museum was our next stop. That will be the subject of next weeks blog.

11 comments:

  1. Very interesting!! One of my favorite recipes of my mother's was her lime jello salad. I don't get much call for it these days.

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  2. We have Aeroplane Jelly in Australia and everyone can sing the jingle from the 1930s!

    Love the kewpie dolls.

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  3. Oh and I want to see photos of your thrift store finds!

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  4. Crazy that there is a museum for Jello! Sounds like a fun day!

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  5. Very interesting. I remember having jello when I was a child.

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  6. My oldest son is 16. When he was about 1.5, I begged his father to get me Jello-O Jigglers egg molds for Easter. I wish I still had them... wow, how time is flying by. It is wonderful that there are places like the Jello-O museum to document interesting history, lest we forget, or never know what came before. Thank you for this post, I really enjoyed it :)

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  7. loooove this post!! A day out with the girlfriends is always priceles!!:) My middle niece would be in Jello heaven at the Jello museum . . .I had no idea there was even such a thing! I remember the Bill Cosby Jello commercials as well AND the old jello commercial jingle "Watch it wiggle see it jiggle cool and fruity, it's jello brand gelatin. Of all desserts you'll love the one that tastes so great and is such fun, make jello gelatin and MAKE some fun . .J-E-L-L-O" hehe . .I couldn't resist:)
    thanks for sharing. I loved this post!! Also sound like you scored at the thrift store too!!:)

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  8. It sounds like you had fun and got some great deals!

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  9. Oh my goodness...I love reading/hearing history about products and how they became popular, especially when there are pictures too. Thanks for sharing!

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  10. I had no idea that Jello had been around for that long. It sounds like you all had a fun day!

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