Ben, Jemima, and Betty: Advertising Icons for the Ages

Have you ever wondered who Uncle Ben really was? Or Aunt Jemima? Or Betty Crocker? They have become advertising icons, and they’ve been around a long time. Their faces were in the pantries of the Baby Boomers’ moms, and now Boomer grandchildren are growing up with them. Each character is a marriage of a great product with extraordinary brand recognition. Their respective companies have created legacies with the iconic images, updating them somewhat through the years, but managing to keep alive the illusive advertising values of product quality and trust. Uncle Ben, an elderly African American, is said to be inspired by either the visage of a Chicago maitre d’hôtel named Frank Brown or that of a Texas rice grower known for the fine quality of his rice. In 1943, the marketers at Converted Rice Inc. (now Mars, Inc. based in Houston, Texas) probably had no idea that their Uncle Ben would live this long and be the top-selling rice in the United States. Whoever inspired the character would be gratified to know that Uncle Ben is rice for a lot of Americans, who might say, “Honey, pick up some instant Uncle Ben’s before you come home.” In 2007, a new advertising campaign promoted Uncle Ben from a domestic servant to chairman of the board. His visage now is more contemporary but retains the dignity and warmth of the original. Like Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima is an African American, pictured initially as a domestic servant with head kerchief and apron. Her history starts in 1889 when the Pearl Milling Company developed the product Aunt Jemima, the first ready pancake mix. In 1890, Nancy Green as Aunt Jemima became the spokeswoman for the company. She proved to be so popular that the company changed its name to Aunt Jemima Mills Company in 1914. The company was sold to Quaker Oats in 1926. For the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933, Quaker hired Anna Robinson to be the face of Aunt Jemima, and she remained in that position for nearly 20 years. In 1989, Aunt Jemima’s image was updated. Gone was the head scarf. Now her head is more upright, and she wears pearl earrings and a feminine lace collar. She has enjoyed growth in her product line, as well. Her “butter rich” syrup was added in 1991, followed by a line of frozen foods. Aunt Jemima advertising has been careful to keep the personality of their icon that of a trusted, congenial and warm woman who is one of America’s most recognized advertising characters. When it comes to advertising and brand recognition, it’s hard to beat Betty Crocker, the symbol of General Mills since 1921. She was introduced as a way to respond to consumers’ cooking questions. Betty was selected as a name that sounded friendly; Crocker was the surname of a recently retired director of the company, William G. Crocker. A drawing of a woman first appeared in advertising for Gold Medal flour in the 1920s. The official Betty Crocker appeared in 1936, and since then she has been updated seven times. With each successive iteration she grows more youthful, but she still sports a signature red outfit with white at her neck. Consumers take Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima, and Betty Crocker for granted, never giving a thought to what these characters have meant to their respective companies, both in advertising terms and in the emotional qualities they bring to their brand owners. No Texas-size scandals have besmirched their reputations nor have they been maligned in the tabloids for behavior. They represent more than just an advertising brand -- they are good citizens and helpful assistants to millions of Americans in their homes and kitchens.