Popsicle (brand) facts for kids
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| Type | Ice pops |
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| Owner | Good Humor-Breyers |
| Country | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Introduced | 1922 |
| Related brands | Fudgsicle Creamsicle Yosicle |
| Markets | U.S. and Canada |
| Previous owners | Joe Lowe Corporation; Sara Lee Corporation; Empire of Carolina; AmBrit; Gold Bond Ice Cream |
| Registered as a trademark in | U.S. and Canada |
Popsicle is a popular brand of ice pop. It is made by Good Humor-Breyers. Popsicles are frozen treats on a stick, usually with fruit flavors and bright colors.
Contents
The Sweet History of Popsicle
How Popsicle Was Invented
The idea for Popsicle came from an 11-year-old boy named Francis William "Frank" Epperson. This happened in Oakland, California, way back in 1905. Frank was mixing a powdered drink mix with water on his porch.
He accidentally left the drink outside overnight. It still had the stirring stick in it. That night, the weather got very cold, and the drink froze solid. The next morning, Frank found his drink frozen to the stick. This gave him the amazing idea for a fruit-flavored frozen treat.
Popsicle Becomes a Hit
Frank Epperson first shared his invention in 1922 at a fireman's party. Everyone loved it! In 1923, he started selling his frozen pops to people at Neptune Beach. This was an amusement park in Alameda, California.
By 1924, Frank got a patent for his "frozen confectionery." He first called it the "Epsicle ice pop." But his children loved the treat so much, they kept asking for "Pop's 'sicle." So, he changed the name to Popsicle. The first Popsicles were fruity and sold as a "frozen drink on a stick."
Popsicle's Early Business Deals
About six months after getting his patent, Frank's Popsicle Corporation faced a lawsuit from another company called Good Humor. By October 1925, they settled their disagreement. Popsicle agreed to pay Good Humor a fee. This allowed Popsicle to keep making frozen treats from ice and sherbet. Good Humor kept the right to make similar products from ice cream.
Popsicle Changes Owners
In 1925, Frank Epperson sold the rights to Popsicle to the Joe Lowe Company in New York. They created a special company called Popsicle Industries to sell the product. Frank later said he had to sell because he needed money.
In 1965, Popsicle Industries was sold again. This time, it was bought by Consolidated Foods Corporation. This company later changed its name to Sara Lee.
By 1986, Sara Lee was having trouble making money from Popsicle. So, they sold the U.S. part of Popsicle Industries to the Gold Bond Ice Cream Company. This company was located in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
In 1987, Sara Lee sold the Canadian part of Popsicle Industries to AmBrit Inc. Then, in 1990, Empire of Carolina bought the Canadian operations from AmBrit Inc.
Popsicle Joins Unilever
In 1989, Good Humor, which was now part of a big company called Unilever, bought the U.S. rights to the Popsicle brand from Gold Bond. They added Popsicle to their Good Humor-Breyers division.
In 1993, Unilever also bought the Canadian part of Popsicle Industries. This meant that the Popsicle brand for both Canada and the U.S. was now together under the Good Humor-Breyers division.
Popsicle Pete: The Friendly Mascot
Who is Popsicle Pete?
In April 1939, a special character named Popsicle Pete was introduced. He became the company's mascot. Pete first appeared on the radio show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. He was said to have won the "Typical American Boy Contest."
Popsicle Pete would tell listeners how they could win prizes. All they had to do was send in wrappers from Popsicle products. Pete was a big part of Popsicle's advertising in the U.S. until 1989. During the 1940s, Woody Gelman and Ben Solomon created the Popsicle Pete ads. These ads were seen on Popsicle packages for many years.
Popsicle Pete in Canada
Popsicle Pete also became popular in Canada. He was introduced there in 1988. He appeared in TV commercials, special events, and print ads. Pete continued to be a mascot in Canada until 1996.
Different Kinds of Popsicle Treats
The Popsicle brand started making more flavors after Good Humor-Breyers bought it in 1989. Under the Popsicle brand, Good Humor-Breyers also owns the names for Creamsicle and Fudgsicle.
- Creamsicle has a creamy vanilla ice cream center. This is covered by a layer of flavored ice.
- Fudgsicle was first called Fudgicle. It is a flat, frozen dessert on a stick. It tastes like chocolate and has a texture similar to ice cream.
Other Cool Popsicle Products
- Firecrackers are a type of Popsicle shaped like a firecracker. They have three colors: red (cherry) on top, white (white lemon) in the middle, and blue (blue raspberry) on the bottom. They look a lot like the Bomb Pop from Wells Dairy.
- Slow Melt Pops are special Popsicles that melt slower. They have a little bit of gelatin in them. This helps them stay frozen longer than regular ice pops. Slow Melt Pops come in different flavors.
- Yosicles are a brand of Popsicle that include yogurt.
- Revello Bars are ice cream bars on a stick that are covered in chocolate.
- Fruit Twisters are a brand of Popsicle made with fruit juice, milk, and cane sugar.
See also
