Adventures in Vintage Advertising: Jell-O Gelatin

There are certain culinary traditions that accompany each holiday. Some are near universally enjoyed amongst those who celebrate those special days, others are more along the lines of a specific family tradition and some fall squarely in the middle. In the case of the latter, one finds the decades old act of serving a gelatine salad along with their Thanksgiving dinner. Growing up, my family always did just that, with a simple dish of tinned fruit cocktail that was suspended in Cherry Jell-O.

Nothing fancy in the slightest, but a lovely accompaniment to the meal all the same that harkened back to my grandparent's day, when the traditional began and Jell-O salads and other gelatine filled dishes themselves were far more common than they are for a lot of folks nowadays.

Jell-O has been synonymous with most, if not all, of the major holidays, as this fun circa 1920s ad shows, since its earliest days - the autumn celebrations of Halloween and Thanksgiving both very much included.

With Canadian Thanksgiving coming up next Monday (the 12th) and this uber simple Jell-O salad slatted to make an appearance on my mom's dinning room table again, I thought that it was high time I shined the spotlight on the history of Jell-O brand gelatine, as seen through the lens of some of the many (many!) ads that have been created over the years to help promote this product (and I must sincerely thank my good friend Inky for her encouragement, especially through the sharing of vintage Jell-O ads on Pinterest a few months back, when it came to me to penning today's post).

To begin with, as popular as it is, I know that Jell-O is not everyone's cup of tea and that despite its immense fame, actual Jell-O brand powdered gelatine is not available worldwide (in fact, when I lived in Ireland and some of my relatives would very sweetly send care packages of food that I couldn't get there over to me, Jell-O gelatine and instant pudding alike were two things I specially asked for; there were other brands of commercially prepared flavoured gelatines, such as Chiver's jelly tablets, available at grocery stores like Tesco, but I couldn't find this most basic of North American ingredient anywhere and that was quite a surprise at the time to my young mind and culinary loving heart).

Still, no matter what, I hope that you can delight in the ads and wealth of history in the post all the same - after all, if Jell-O isn't fun, I don't know what it is!

Jell-O brand gelatine comes in powdered and ready made (instant/snack pack) form, in a good sized range of flavours, in both regular and sugar free/diet varieties, and is cited in some sources as the most frequently sold ready made dessert product in the world. In its most basic form, it is dead simple to make and involves nothing more than in terms of ingredients than the gelatine powder and both a hot and a cold liquid (usually water, but everything from fruit juice to melted ice cream to cola can be used, if so desired).



Undoubtedly a huge part of the reason why, for all intents, flavoured Jell-O gelatine hit the ground running was that from the very get-go, the company and its consumers alike saw the endless possibilities that it housed in terms of creating various desserts, salads, aspics and other similar dishes with it. A point that is well demonstrated in this turn of the century image that suggests pairing lemon Jell-O with fruit in a molded salad.


It's often one of the first desserts that young children learn to, or help their parents, make and even in the fact of so many other prepared desserts that have hit the supermarket shelves since its debut over a century ago, Jell-O still has a loyal following  and doesn't appear to be in danger of going the way of the dinosaur any time soon. The fact that it's still quite affordable (I often buy boxes on offer for $1.00 or even a little less still and clearly remember the days of my childhood when three or even four boxes could be purchased on sale for just one dollar) in an age when most foods have massively skyrocketed in price in recent years may also account for its sticking power (pun intended ).

Jell-O brand powder might seem as commonplace as sliced bread and pasteurized milk nowadays, but when it first emerged on the scene in 1897, it was a truly revolutionary food.

Gelatine itself had been around for many centuries, but the act of making it - a process done by extracting the gelatine (aka, gelatin, as those in the States usually spell this word) protein produced when animal bones, connective tissues and other similar products are boiled and then using that product as a setting agent/ingredient in a sweet or savoury dish - was a very labour intensive one and something that many home cooks saved for only the most special of occasions/fanciest dinner parties, if they even bothered at all (and even then, it was commonly the reserve of the well-to-do, who could afford it).



Food historians have traced the origins of gelatin desserts back for centuries, but it wasn't until the Victorian era that they really started to snowball in terms of popularity. Making them was a long, laborious process however and something that, for the most part, was reserved for those who were fairly well off financially. Jell-O brand gelatine really opened this tasty treat up for the masses and was a permanent game changer on the gelatine cookery front.


Gelatine is not the only substance on the planet that can act is in this way (that is to say, to help solidify a liquid and turn it into a jelly based product). Agar, for example, which is made from red algae and is thus a vegan friendly gelatine option, can be used in much the same way (and is especially popular in many Asian countries). However, to this day in North America and many parts of the world, it is gelatine that remains the key way in which we create jellied dishes.

In the Victorian era, the process of making gelatine at home got somewhat simpler when sheets of commercially prepared gelatine became available, but the process involved with making them was still seen by many as time consuming and that results were sometimes unsatisfactory (in part because cold temperatures are needed for it to set and the icebox, as well as later the invention of the refrigerator, would play a pivotal role in Jell-O's widespread adoption).

In 1845, a railway engineer by the name of Peter Cooper was actually the first person to file a patent for powdered gelatine (you've got to love how those industrial revolution era folks often dabbled in a huge range of different undertakings!) which he called Portable Gelatin, and various brands of commercially prepared plain and fruit flavoured powdered gelatine followed, yet they never really took off in any major way.

It wasn't until 1897 that Mr. Pearle Bixby Wait of LeRoy, New York, himself a multi-tasking cough syrup manufacturer and carpenter (according to many sources), released a sweetened, flavoured powdered gelatine product that he and his wife, May, trademarked Jell-O, that this handy invention started to get its wings. The couple weren't the best of marketers though and they had little in the way of financial capital or backing, so in 1899, they opted to sell the patent, formula, and brand name for Jell-O to one of their own neighbours who owned the Genesee Food Company. The selling price? A mere $450 dollars (which was certainly a much larger sum back then, but still, not that much for what would quickly become one of the most popular desserts in the world).



A very early Jell-O ad that included the use of Kewpie dolls, which were hugely popular at the time, to help sell their product. Jell-O has long done a stellar job of marketing and keeping its finger on the pulse of (then current) popular culture, as this ad demonstrates.


The rest, as they say is (sweet) history! Jell-O brand commercially prepared instant gelatine powder was initially released in lemon, orange, strawberry and raspberry flavours (all of which are still available to this day) and after a few slightly rocky years of business initially, it proved to be a success very early on. In no small part because homemakers and professional chefs alike adored its ease of use, reliability, range of flavours, and endless versatility.

In 1904, Ladies Home Journal, albeit in a Jell-O advertisement, proclaimed Jell-O to be "America's Favourite Desserts" and honestly, I wouldn't doubt for a moment that was the case, at least in terms of pre-packed options. Certainly one of the secrets to Jell-O's success was its widespread use of advertising and use of this title as a slogan for the product.

Jell-O's manufacturers also did a top-notch job of promoting their products by releasing numerous small recipe booklets, many of which were given away free with purchase or that be bought for mere pennies back in the day. As part of one early publicity campaign, the company even went so far as to hand out free Jell-O molds to immigrants who were just arriving at Ellis Island. What better way, after all, the think tank at Jell-O rationed, to promote Jell-O as a popular, all-American dessert than to invite newcomers to their country to try it out from the get-go.

An Edwardian magazine ad with the slogan that propelled Jell-O from minor popularity to a nationwide smash hit! 

Another area where Jell-O focused its advertising energy was on children, with whom the easy to eat and digest dessert was a hit from the start. In the early 1900s Jell-O introduced the "Jell-O Girl", who was based on artist Franklin King's then four year old daughter, Elizabeth King (Mr. King was working at the time on the advertising art front for Jell-O). Her initial slogan was "You can't be a kid without it" in reference to Jell-O, a concept that appealed to youngsters and parents alike.

Between its massive advertising efforts, affordable price, delicious flavours, ease of use, catchy slogans (including the highly memorable "There's always room for Jell-O", which implied that it was a light dessert that could easily follow any meal, no matter how heavy it may have been), and widespread availability, Jell-O sales soared and in 1923 (or ‘24, depending on your source) the Genesee Pure Food Company opted, in a wise move, to rename themselves simply the Jell-O Company. Later that very same year, they made the fortuitous decision to hire an emerging new artistic talent by the name of Norman Rockwell to illustrate some beautiful, vibrantly hued ads for their products.

Always one to keep up with the times, The Jell-O Company was quick to embrace the new medias of radio, movies, and later television, with substantial ad campaigns on all those fronts. In fact, they were not only amongst the first food brands to advertise on the radio, but they hired none other than beloved entertainer Jack Benny to sing their on-air ads back in 1934, during the heart of the Great Depression (which Jell-O's affordability helped to ensure rode out those economically and socially challenging years).

A late 1930s Jell-O ad that included superstar of his day, Jack Benny, who did radio work for the company in addition to starring in numerous ads for the popular dessert brand. 

Jell-O continued to remain a firm favourite, even if it is a rather wobbly food , in the 1940s, 1950s, and early 60s, though sales did decline somewhat as the very nature of both the commercially prepared food and home cooking fronts began to change during that period. Jell-O wasn't about to toss in the towel though and in the 1970s, they hired comedian and actor Bill Cosby as their spokesperson. This did a terrific job at the time of helping to revive flagging sales in Jell-O, with a resurgence - especially due to the low fat/low calorie diet craze of the 1980s - in the classic product exploding on the dessert scene in the decades to follow.

Though Jell-O has always been most popular in North America, it has been (and in some cases still is) sold in some other parts of the world. Jell-O is a legendary dessert. Few people in countries were it is available can say that they've never tried it and a good many who have done so are devoted fans (myself very much included - especially since Jell-O powder is gluten-free!). Yet it might be Jell-O's versatility that has been responsible for its staying power above all else.

Delicious as is alone, in one of the many assorted flavours that are available nowadays, or mixed into endless array of sweet, and sometimes even savoury, dishes, Jell-O is a akin to a blank, albeit colourful, canvas that any cook can experiment and play around with. Jell-O is fairly quick to make, costs very little per serving, partners awesomely with a huge range of other ingredients, can be made into parts of larger desserts (spanning the spectrum from cheesecakes to trifles, ice cream to pies) and is so deeply entrenched in our collective social consciousness at this point that it would be hard to imagine the world - or at least the dinner table - without it.

In fact, Jell-O is so much a part of world that the word is often used as a genericized trademark of sorts (though not, technically, legally). That is to say a trademarked name (such as Kleenex or Q-Tips) that becomes synonymous with the all items of the same nature and used colloquially a term for them, though only Jell-O itself, which is today owned by Kraft Foods, can legally call itself such in a commercial capacity. All other similar options having to come up with alternative names for their powdered gelatine offerings.

The following is a selection of some of the scores upon scores of print ads that Jell-O has released over the years. As always in my Adventures in Vintage Advertising posts, I strove for diversity in the choices that I featured herein and have included further fun facts about this yummy, translucent, fabulously fun dessert along with the images below (which are arranged in roughly chronological order from oldest to newest).




A turn of the century ad for Jell-O brand instant gelatine that reminded customers what a time and labour saving invention this handy instant dessert was (and it's true, it really was just that where making gelatine was concerned).




Cooking not your strong suit? Fear not, as this early twentieth century ad plainly stated, Jell-O was always there, waiting and ready to step in and aid in getting dessert on the table. I can't help but be struck by how the younger, fancier dressed woman looks like she's a prototype of sorts for the flappers of the 1920s, and as such am struck by the fact that Jell-O was so astute in picking up the massive social changes that were afoot (including more rights and freedoms for women), that would be impacting young and old alike in the decades to come.




A very elegantly attired young Jell-O girl with her well known blonde bobbed hair. She was a mainstay of the brand's ads throughout the 1910s and on into the 1920s.




Modernity abounds in this Edwardian Jell-O ad, where we see a stylish young woman not only placing an order for all seven flavours of the powdered dessert that existed at the time, but using a telephone to do so.




Though there have of course been some changes over the decades, Jell-O's packaging has remained immensely consistent throughout its lifetime, as you can see in this early 20th century image that shows both the box and the inside packet of gelatine powder.




Another ad from the 1910s (1914, to be exact) that highlights the social progresses being made at the time, in this case by disusing how Jell-O is a big hit with female college students (who had existed prior to that decade, of course, but it wasn't until the start of the 20th century that women began to attend post-secondary schools on a mass scale).




From the very get-go, Jell-O was reasonably priced, as this ad from 1920 focuses on, and the company was proud of that fact, which helped ensure their product landed on many a homemaker's pantry shelves from coast to coast.




Jell-O expanded its North American reach quickly, hopping over the 49th quite early on, as this 1922 ad proclaiming it to be "Canada's Most Famous Dessert" (too, naturally, given that it was American's) illustrates, complete with glistening North Lights and plenty of snow.





In the days when many fruits and vegetables were still thoroughly seasonal products available for only a portion of the year, Jell-O was keen to remind shoppers how much their products helped to capture the flavour of such delectable garden offerings the whole year round, as this lovely ad from 1928 illustrates.




The vogue for layering different colours of Jell-O varieties and/or softening their hue with milk, cream, whipped cream, ice cream, or Cool Whip started early on, as this c. 1920s recipe highlights, and is still going strong to this day with many a Jell-O fan.





In the 1930s, Jell-O ran a series of ads urges users to try the "triple test" method to prove just what a high quality, delicious product they were producing. This particular image is of an advertising cutout from the era that would have likely appeared in a grocery or five & dime store.




Though the days of having servants in one's home on a full-time basis were quickly vanishing, as this c. early 1930s Jell-O ad hints at, their products were more than suitable enough from the (potentially) highbrow tastes of those who may have still had the means to have their dinner - and dessert - served to them each evening.




Anytime a product gets popular, there's apt to be competitors and knock off versions, and there was no exception on that front where Jell-O was concerned, as this 1936 ad encouraging shoppers to only buy genuine Jell-O brand gelatine focused on.




Numerous popular celebrities of their day have been employed by the Jell-O company over the years, including well known singer, radio personality, and cook Kate Smith, seen here in this page of Jell-O recipes that appeared in a 1947 copy of Country Gentleman magazine.




Salads starring Jell-O had already been around for decades, but the 1940s really saw them start to hit their zenith, which would peak in the 1950s, but carry on strong for many more years to come. Compared to many molded salad recipes of the day with ingredients are diverse as tuna fish, asparagus, olives, pickled beats, and hard boiled eggs, these Jell-O fruit salad recipes from the forties sound all the more appetizing.


A wonderfully charming illustration stars in this cute early 1950s Jell-O ad that promotes, as a good many did in the 20th century, Jell-O's wallet friendly price (which remains true to this day).




In the 1950s Jell-O began a popular series of adorably illustrated ads each featuring a different type of animal and the words "I wish I was/were (insert the name of the animal in the ad)..." that described why one would wish to be that critter and how it related back to Jell-O. I've seen quite a few of these ads over the years, each starring animals as diverse as hippos, donkeys, cats, birds, reindeer, whales, and squirrels. This one features a bunny rabbit who would put veggies, including carrots, in their Jell-O salad. (Interestingly, the copy in these ads and the "I wish I were" slogan always reminds me of the Maidenform bra company’s somewhat similar "I dreamed I..." series of ads from the same era.)




Like many food ads of the mid-twentieth century, those for Jell-O frequently featured recipes (in doing so it was hoped the reader would buy their product and make the recipe or put it to use with boxes of Jell-O that they already owned and if it was a hit, thus keep purchasing that flavour to make the dish again and again). This circa late 1940s/1950s recipe ad features three Jell-O desserts all of which sound quite appetizing to me, especially the one involving coconut macaroons.




Maybe it's just me, but I've really liked the classic dish that is Jell-O Barbeque Salad, seen here in this ad from 1953. It's tangy, refreshingly, and subtly reminiscent of gazpacho soup.



Another uber cute vintage "I wish I was" 1950s Jell-O animal ad, this one with a colourful zebra and equally vibrant triple flavour molded Jell-O dessert.




Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful things that you can do with Jell-O is to turn it into a stained glass salad or molded dessert (so named because the cubes of gelatine in it resemble the various pieces in a stained glass window) like this lovely pink and red 1950s example.




So much of the lingering bad rep/stigma about Jell-O and more over Jell-O salads harkens back to (what is for most people) shudder inducing recipes involving copious amounts of mayonnaise/Miracle Whip and savoury ingredients like these two 1950s dinner options.




A festive 1950s Jell-O holiday season ad starting red and green gelatine. That "ice chip" style of Jell-O can be achieved in various ways, including simply with a fork, but my personal favourite way is to run it through a hand held ricer or food mill with an appropriate attachment.




Pimento filled green olives, celery, (what looks like) processed cheese slices, and lime Jell-O - yep, this is definitely one seriously mid-century gelatine salad! :)




I'm all for creativity and thinking outside of the box, but one does have to wonder if the fine folks at the Jell-O Company were running a little thin on marketing ideas the day they came up with this particular ad campaign. :D




Over the years Jell-O has released many flavours that are no longer with us nowadays. I personally think that Apple Jell-O sounds really delicious and am almost surprised given the popularity of apple sauce, fresh apples, and apple desserts that it wasn't able to stick around in the long run. Some of the other now defunct Jell-O flavours? Amongst numerous varieties, Cola, Maple Syrup, Chocolate, Passion Fruit, Coffee, Bubble Gum, Root Beer, Cotton Candy, Melon Berry, and Strawberry Kiwi (which I loved!).




Jell-O is nothing if not resourceful and this add 1960s campaign which encouraged customers to use up their assorted leftovers was certainly no except there.




Capitalizing on the crave for vegetable filled gelatine salads in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, Jell-O released a line of savoury vegetable flavoured varieties that included Celery, Italian Salad, Mixed Vegetable, and Seasoned Tomato. As the fad for such salads wore down, they quickly vanished from grocery store shelves.




A creative use for Jell-O, as seen here in this early 1970s ad, that one still spots from time to time in various recipes, but which never caught on in a big way.




Surely one of the most creative and visually striking desserts involving Jell-O gelatine, the (now) classic poke cake tastes every bit as good as it looks and can be made in a vast array of colours, including red and green as shown here (in an ad from the late 1970s) for the Christmas holiday season.

{To learn more about a specific image used in this post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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Jell-O gelatine (aka, jelly) powder is many things to many folks. It has been a sickbed and hospital staple for decades now thanks to the fact that does not contain any solid food (save for the gelatine particles) and that is something many people can safely eat.

Some individuals opt to wrestle in it; we've combined it with boozy drinks to make Jell-O shots/shooters, it's often one of the first "grownup desserts" that young children are fed, it's a staple at social functions such as potlucks and church suppers, and though some view it as a kitschy throwback to the idealistic version of the mid-twentieth century, it still continues to land in many a family's shopping cart year after delicious year (annually over 300 million boxes of Jell-O are sold in the US alone!).

Over the decades, whole books (and blogs, such as The Jell-O Mold Mistress) about - and many recipe books featuring nothing but recipes for - Jell-O have been released, such as Jell-O: A Biography - The History and Mystery of America's Most Famous Dessert by Carolyn Wyman.

I own several vintage and contemporary Jell-O cookbooks myself, as well as a copy of Ms. Wyman's aforementioned book, and make sure to keep my eyes peeled for vintage Jell-O recipe booklets to add to my Etsy shop, where old school recipe books in general always prove popular.

I adore Jell-O and at just about any given point in my adult life, save for when I lived in Ireland, you would have (and will still) find at least a few boxes of the speedy, tasty treat in my cupboard. I tend to use it as an ingredient in more complex desserts (including the no-bake GF, EF strawberry + raspberry cheesecake that I made for my last birthday), but am not opposed to tucking into a dish as is or combining a few boxes to the make much beloved-amongst-children staple that is Jell-O Jigglers.

At its heart, Jell-O is fun. It has never, even in the most sophisticated of culinary offerings, taken itself all that seriously. It seems to know that it is a molded dish of wobbly, wiggly, easily consumed semi-solid sugar, dye, and gelatin that has a very temporary place on our plate, but a permanent spot in the hearts and minds of billions of people the world over for several generations now.

So this Thanksgiving, if you don't do so already, why not join me in honouring Jell-O's venerable history and continued success by whipping up a Jell-O salad or other dish featuring this timeless ingredient of your own. Chances are, as it has for many a decade now, doing so will make you and your guests smile and when it does, you'll be reminded of just how and why Jell-O has been so immensely beloved and enjoyed for 118 years and counting.