Original photo by Iana Miroshnichenko/ iStock
The Gerber baby food company has long operated under the slogan “Babies are our business… our only business.” But for a brief period in 1974, that promise wasn’t exactly true. That year, the company unveiled Gerber Singles, a line of glass jars containing ready-to-eat meals that were advertised to young adults and college students. This new product was part of a larger effort by Gerber to expand its customer base in response to a 25% drop in the U.S. birth rate from 1960 to 1972, which heavily impacted the baby food market.
Oops, incorrect!
It's a fibThe Gerber baby illustration by artist Dorothy Hope Smith began appearing in ads in the 1920s. Rumors claimed Smith designed the baby after a number of celebs, including a young Humphrey Bogart. In reality, the logo was modeled after Smith’s neighbor, a young girl named Ann Turner Cook.
With the tagline “We were good for you then, we’re good for you now,” Gerber Singles were essentially advertised as whole meals for single people on the go or those who chose not to cook. Flavors included Beef Burgundy, Mediterranean Vegetables, and Blueberry Delight, and all you needed to do was heat up the jar and eat it right out of the container. However, Gerber Singles proved deeply unpopular, as the idea of eating pureed food out of a glass jar failed to catch on. People were also turned off by depressing ad campaigns that promoted Gerber Singles as food for “whenever you eat alone.” The product rollout was a flop, and the jars were pulled from shelves after just three months.
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"Cosmopolitan" magazine produced a failed line of yogurt.
Cosmopolitan magazine has long focused on healthy eating and diet culture, but its own foray into the retail food space left something to be desired. In 1999, Cosmo unveiled a short-lived line of low-fat yogurts and soft cheeses, which were discontinued after just 18 months. The product failed to catch on with a larger audience, as Cosmo chose not to advertise to the general public. Instead, it marketed the yogurt exclusively to readers of the magazine, which limited the potential customer base. The yogurt was also more expensive than its competitors, so despite offering tasty flavors such as cherry and peach, it failed to fly off the shelves.
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Optimism Media, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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