At one time, not too long ago, there was no such thing as “decaffeinated” coffee. You either had coffee, or Sanka. And a key part of the Sanka identity was orange. Orange appeared on the bands on decaf coffee pots in restaurants, and in the packaging of Sanka. However, overMORE HERE
ATLANTA – One of the happier trademarks in the U.S. is Mod Podge, the decoupage coating. Georgia entrepreneuse and interior designer Jan Wetstone, whose Buckhead shop Jan’s Interiors is shown as the original owner of the brand, invented the Mod-Podge in 1965. Note that it was first trademarked with aMORE HERE
Comstock is one of the nation’s early canned pie fillings and may be the nation’s first. The idea? Instead of cutting and cooking apples before you bake them in a pie, all you have to do is buy a crust, open the can, pour it in, and bake. No Peel!MORE HERE
SAN FRANCISCO – The Snap-E-Tom tomato cocktail was a product of the Pioneer Ortega company, and later Heublein, and today owned by Del Monte. Made with chile peppers, onions and tomatoes, it was a Bloody Mary mix that advertised itself as the Big Brother of the Bloody Mary, Bloody Thomas.MORE HERE
Even large companies abandon brands in favor of something new. Proctor & Gamble had a predecessor brand to laundry soaps like Tide, Era and Gain, the behemoth detergent brands of today. The brand was Chipso, a flake brand in boxes that promoted the use of safe suds for washing. ItMORE HERE
PEACH GLEN, Penn. – Supporting local farmers is often seen as finding fresh, local produce, or visiting a locavore restaurant. But there are easier ways to change the food process. Buy American, and buy from co-ops and smaller suppliers in the center aisles, with prepared and canned foods. Lucky Leaf,MORE HERE
WALLED LAKE, Michigan – If you have ever purchased ammonia, the oldest and best-known brand is Parsons Household Ammonia, which dates from 1881. That makes it one of the older consumer products in the United States. Today, it has a new life as a sister product to the Brillo pad.MORE HERE
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Uncle Wiley’s is a food seasoning brand for the produce aisle, geared to vegetables like yams and greens. With simply titled seasonings, each flavor packet describes what it is for, no explanations needed. Flavors include Eat Your Beans, Eat Your Greens and Eat Your Yams. Retail pricesMORE HERE
LONDON – The news that the Marks & Spencer Group Plc of the U.K. purchased (or perhaps rescued) the fashion brand Jaeger for a reported meager £5 million pounds is the result of a changing retail market that has put thousands of retailers out of business worldwide. For over 100MORE HERE
Chestnut Hill, Tenn. – If one wants to see the perfect template for promoting a consumer product brand, steal a few ideas from Bush Brothers & Company, makers of Bush’s Best beans. The brand, founded in 1908, is still family owned, with offices and plant in East Tennessee. The brandMORE HERE