Mrs. Butterworth's
Product type | Syrup and baking mixes |
---|---|
Owner | Conagra Brands |
Country | United States |
Introduced | 1961 |
Markets | Worldwide |
Previous owners | Mrs. Butterworth's |
Website | www |
Mrs. Butterworth's is an American brand of syrups and pancake mixes owned by Conagra Brands. The syrups come in distinctive bottles shaped in the form of a matronly woman, Mrs. Butterworth. The syrup was introduced in 1961.[1] In 1999, the original glass bottles began to be replaced with plastic.[2]
Advertising[]
One of the main voice actresses for Mrs. Butterworth was Mary Kay Bergman.[3]
In 2007, Mrs. Butterworth was used in a series of ads for GEICO, in which she helped an actual customer with her testimonial.[4]
In 2019, she appeared along with an actor playing Colonel Sanders in a KFC commercial spoofing a scene from Dirty Dancing, promoting chicken and waffles using Mrs. Butterworth's syrup.
Controversy[]
In 2020, following protests over systemic racism, Conagra Brands announced that it would review the shape of their bottles, as critics viewed them as an example of the "mammy" stereotype.[5] Some reports, without evidence, have claimed that the character was originally modeled on Thelma "Butterfly" McQueen, who appeared as the maid in Gone with the Wind (1939).[6][7]
In popular culture[]
In 2009, then-parent company Pinnacle Foods held a "first name contest" for the product's mascot; the winning name was "Joy", making the full name Joy Butterworth.[8][9] The character appears in the 2012 American film Foodfight!.[10]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Our History". Pinnacle Foods. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ "Plastic pleases Mrs. Butterworth's". Packaging World. 1999-08-31. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
- ^ CNN obituary for Mary Kay Bergman
- ^ Geico Mrs. Butterworth, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2019-12-16
- ^ Durbin, Dee-Ann (18 June 2020). "Cream of Wheat, Mrs. Butterworth confront race in packaging". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- ^ Silvey, Janese (May 4, 2012). "Mrs. Butterworth award raises ire at MU". Columbia Daily Tribune. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ Morona, Joey (June 17, 2020). "Mrs. Butterworth's syrup is considering changing up its branding and famous bottles". cleveland.com. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "Mrs. Butterworth Has a First Name, It's . . ". Food Channel. 2009-10-03. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
- ^ "Mrs. Butterworth's first name is . . ". Los Angeles Times. 2009-05-09. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
- ^ Hawkes, Rebecca (2017-08-02). "Forget The Emoji Movie: discover Foodfight!, the worst children's animation of all time". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
External links[]
- Syrup
- Baking mixes
- Female characters in advertising
- Food advertising characters
- Products introduced in 1961
- Pinnacle Foods brands
- Brand name food products stubs