I’ve never been a huge Kool-Aid drinker, but I used to always watch the Kool-Aid ads as a kid. The Kool-Aid Man (the mascot for Kool-Aid) has also made a huge impression on today’s younger generations.
Kraft Heinz’ brand of flavoured drink mix, Kool-Aid, is based in Chicago, Illinois, and was created by Edwin Perkins in 1927.
The Kool-Aid Story: An American Dream Come True
https://kool-aiddays.com/history/
The Kool-Aid story is that of Edwin E. Perkins. He was born in Iowa in 1889, and he came from a hard-working farming family. His family also owned a general store in the early 1900s .
Once a family friend brought home a new dessert: It was Jell-O. Edwin fell in love with Jell-O, how could he not? Later in his life he recounted how the Six Delicious Flavours of the dessert influenced his decision to work in the pre-packaged food business.
The Making of a Young Manufacturer
At 11 years old, Perkins was inspired by a magazine poster that read “Be a manufacturer — Mixer’s Guide tells you how. Write today”. He then turned his kitchen into a laboratory to make concoctions suggested in the packet.
Just like we learnt in the Survey 4 and 5 lectures, Edwin actually began printing, and later published the local newspaper as well as turning out job-printing orders.
“Onor-Maid” Products
The Perkins Product Company started the “Onor-Maid” line of products in 1921. Perkins manufactured and sold more than 125 different items. These items ranged from lotions, medicines, soaps, food flavourings, jelly-making products, and fruit drink concentrates. Those products sold through distributors in retail stores, and directly to consumers with door-to-door sales people. However, mail order was a problem.
http://d1vmz9r13e2j4x.cloudfront.net/nebstudies/0801_0301catalog.pdf
Fruit Smacking Kool-Aid
One of the best selling items of Perkins Product Co. was a liquid concentrate intended to be mixed with water called Fruit Smack. It’s distribution was considered messy, as it was corked and sold in bottles.
http://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/edwin-perkins-kool-aid-inventor/?utm_source=TWNET&utm_medium=Post&utm_campaign=NEStudies
Consumers were more appealed by the powdered drink, so Perkins’ company created Kool-Ade in 1927, what we know now as Kool-Aid.
http://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/edwin-perkins-kool-aid-inventor/?utm_source=TWNET&utm_medium=Post&utm_campaign=NEStudies
Getting to Business
Perkins strived in organizing and encouraging his staff, as it was important to market products through salesmen. All over the country, his sales representatives/ “jobbers” were selling his products.
http://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/edwin-perkins-kool-aid-inventor/?utm_source=TWNET&utm_medium=Post&utm_campaign=NEStudies
The “silent salesman” was a small cardboard case that displayed Kool-Aid packages in popular areas of the store.
Kool-Aid and the Great Depression
Kool-Aid was originally sold at 10 cents per package, but during the Great Depression, it became 5 cents.
Kool-Aid made kids into the Scouts of the Stars and Stripes and they were able to collect hats and pins during World War II. Their lemonade mix was even included in the ration kits of men and women on the front lines.
In this time, the Hastings base for Kool-Aid became too small as demand increased. Thus, Perkins Products Co. moved to Chicago in 1931.
Letting go
Perkins was 64 years old when he sold his company to the General Foods Corporation in 1953.
Edwin Perkins started with just his family as his company in Hastings, and by 1950 he had grown his workforce to 350 people in Chicago. He is known as an American success.
The “Cool”-Aid Man
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kool-Aid_Man
The Kool-Aid Man, “Pitcher Man” wasn’t created until July 10, 1954 by Marvin Potts. In pop culture he appeared on animated television shows and commercials. He had attained this recognizable icon status by the 1980s.
Cherished by older and younger generations, Kool-Aid lives on as a refreshing cold drink. Concerning Kool-Aid, this burning question is trending right now: “Is the Kool-Aid Man the Jar or the Liquid?” (Seriously, though, I need to know the answer.)
Sources
“History of Kool-Aid.” Kool, 23 June 2019, kool-aiddays.com/history/.
“Kool-Aid.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 July 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kool-Aid.
“Kool-Aid Man.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Nov. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kool-Aid_Man.
Nebraska, NET. “Did You Know That @Koolaid Was Invented in Hastings, Nebraska? Learn More about Edwin Perkins, the Man Who Invented the Drink Back in 1927. Https://T.co/TvmGzXMPXM #KoolAidDays Pic.twitter.com/C4Qm2cfb3A.” Twitter, Twitter, 11 Aug. 2018, twitter.com/netnebraska/status/1028249741161914371.
Roggio, Armando. “Edwin Perkins Needed a Shippable Product.” Practical Ecommerce, Practical Ecommerce, 1 Jan. 2019, www.practicalecommerce.com/edwin-perkins-needed-a-shippable-product.