Gerber Baby

The Gerber Baby is the trademark logo of the Gerber Products Company, an American purveyor of baby food and baby products.[1] Drawn by artist Dorothy Hope Smith, the Gerber Baby was modeled after Ann Turner Cook (1926–2022).

History
Sketch of the Gerber Baby on product packaging

Fremont Canning Company, owned and operated by Dan Gerber, was looking for a baby face for its new baby food campaign, which was to start in the later part of 1928.[2] To find a baby face that it believed would best represent the new baby food, the Fremont Canning Company conducted a contest in the summer of 1928.[3] Many drawings and paintings were submitted. Some were elaborate baby portraits in oil paint, while others were simple sketches.[4]

Dorothy Hope Smith of Westport, Connecticut, an artist specialising in children's drawings, submitted an unfinished charcoal drawing, that was closer to a simple sketch than a professional drawing.[4] Smith told the judges that, if the sketch were selected as the winner, she would finish it professionally.[3] The drawing won but, to her surprise, the judges wanted no changes to it.[5]

In 1928, the “Gerber Baby” symbol was introduced to help identify the new product.[6] It was first used in a baby food advertisement in the magazine Good Housekeeping. Within sixty days, Gerber Strained Foods, using the “Gerber Baby” symbol, had gained national recognition, being distributed to various places throughout the United States.[7] It became internationally recognized.[2]

The campaign encouraged mothers of newborns to participate directly in a coupon redemption program. The introductory offer gave each consumer six cans of the canning company's soup and strained vegetables for a dollar in exchange for the name of a favorite grocer.

The idea was to stress the nutritional value of Gerber's baby foods and the time and money saving advantages over buying by prescription. The sketch was so popular that it became the Fremont Canning Company's official trademark in 1931. The Gerber Baby has since appeared on all Gerber packaging and in every Gerber advertisement.[2] The Fremont Canning Company changed its name to Gerber Products Company in 1941.

The model for Smith's original sketch, Ann Turner Cook (1926–2022) grew up to be a mystery novelist and English teacher.[1] Although she avoided publicity for many years, Cook more recently granted interviews to several Florida newspapers.[4] In the beginning of 2011, the company was in the process of looking for the next Gerber Baby. It eventually chose a toddler named Mercy Townsend.[8]

Earlier, one poll conducted in the United States showed that many people thought that the Gerber Baby became someone famous, such as Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, or Ernest Borgnine.[1] The trademark of the Gerber Baby has been shown by the United States public to be associated with the highest consumer loyalty, according to one survey in 1998.[5]

Of note, in the beginning of February 2018, Gerber selected a baby affected by Down Syndrome for its advertising campaign,[9] and received praise and appreciation from many sources. In 2020, for the first time, Gerber chose an adopted baby as the face of their campaign.[10] In 2022, Gerber chose a baby born with a limb difference, and matched the $25,000 cash prize with a donation to March of Dimes.[11]

Gerber Baby Photo Contest winners
Gerber Baby Photo Contest winners
YearBaby's NameAgeHometownPrizeDistinctionRef
2022 Isa Slish 7 months Edmond, OK $25,000 First Spokesbaby to have a limb difference, selected from 225,000 entries [11]
2021 Zane Kahin 5 months Winter Park, FL $25,000 First Spokesbaby to be named Chief Growing Officer [12]
2020Magnolia Earl1 year oldRoss, CA$25,000First Spokesbaby to be adopted, selected from 327,000 entries[13]
2019Kairi Yang1 year oldHickory, NC$50,000First Spokesbaby of Hmong descent, selected from 544,000 entries[14]
2018Lucas Warren1 year oldDalton, GA$50,000First Spokesbaby with Down syndrome, selected from 140,000 entries[15]
2017Riley Shines7 monthsColumbus, OH$50,000Selected from 110,000 entries[16]
2016Isla Welch7 monthsTroy, MI$50,000Selected from 170,000 entries[17][18]
2015Grace Pfautz7 monthsEast Petersburg, PA$50,000Selected from 180,000 entries[19][20]
2014Levi & Paxton Strickland10 monthsWernersville, PA$50,000First Spokesbabies who are twins, selected from 156,000 entries[21]
2013Mary Jane Montoya8 monthsFresno, CA$50,000Selected from 300,000 entries[22]
2012Tate Rosendahl11 monthsSpringfield, MO$50,000 scholarshipSelected from 156,000 applications[23]
2011Mercy Townsend2 years oldToledo, OH$25,000 scholarshipSelected from 217,000 applications[8]

References
  1. "The Gerber baby story". Archived from the original on 2009-09-27. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  2. Ingham, p. 444
  3. Belasco, p. 104
  4. Heim, p. 123
  5. Avakian, p. 75
  6. Ingham, p. 444 To identify the product, and to reassure mothers, the "Gerber Baby" symbol was adopted, which soon became famous throughout the world.
  7. Ingham, p. 444 Within sixty days, "Gerber Strained Foods" had gained spotty national distribution.
  8. "2 year old from Toledo will star in Gerber ad". Newspapers.com. Springfield News-Sun at Newspapers.com. 5 Feb 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  9. "First baby with Down syndrome wins Gerber baby of the year". USA Today.
  10. "2020 Gerber baby is first adopted baby chosen for campaign". today.com. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  11. Najib, Shafiq. "Meet 2022 Gerber Baby! Isa Slish, Born with Limb Difference, Is 'Amazing Little Girl,' Says Mom". people.com. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  12. VanHoose, Benjamin (June 28, 2021). "Gerber Baby! Zane Kahin of Florida Named as 2021 Spokesbaby: 'Our Little Comedian,' Says His Mom". people.com. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  13. Diaz, Johnny (9 May 2020). "A First Among Gerber Babies: She's Adopted". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  14. "'Growling' baby from Hickory, NC, named Gerber's official 'spokesbaby' for 2019". Newspapers.com. The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC). Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  15. "Boy with Down syndrome is next Gerber baby". Sacramento Bee. 8 Feb 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  16. "Ohio baby is face of Gerber". Newspapers.com. The Akron Beacon Journal at Newspapers.com. 28 Jan 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  17. "Troy baby wins hears, Gerber prize". Newspapers.com. Detroit Free Press at Newspapers.com. 28 Jan 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  18. ""A word with …. The mom of a chubby cheeked cherub"". Newspapers.com. Detroit Free Press at Newspapers.com. 7 Feb 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  19. O'Connor, David (21 Jan 2015). ""Grace" from East Petersburg is new Gerber Baby". LancasterOnline. Lancaster Online. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  20. "Baby Gerber". LNP Always Lancaster at Newspapers.com. 25 Jan 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  21. "Twice the Fun! Gerber Announces Twins as the Grand Prize Winning Entry in Gerber Photo Search 2013!". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  22. "Mary Jane Montoya Is the New Gerber Baby Model". people.com. People. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  23. "Toddler wins Gerber Photo Contest". Newspapers.com. The Springfield News-Leader at Newspapers.com. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2020.

Sources
  • Avakian, Arlene Voski et al., From Betty Crocker to Feminist Food Studies, Liverpool University Press (2005), ISBN 1-55849-511-8
  • Belasco, Warren James, Food Nations, Routledge (2002), ISBN 0-415-93076-6
  • Heim, Michael, Exploring America's Highways, Exploring America's Highway (2004), ISBN 0-9744358-2-1
  • Ingham, John N., Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders: A-G, Greenwood Publishing Group (1983), ISBN 0-313-23907-X
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