Vlasic Pickles

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Vlasic Pickles grew out of a Detroit creamery and fresh pickle business begun by Croatian immigrant Franko Vlasic, and then his son Joe in the 1920s. ^[1] Vlasic's primary product, pickles packaged in glass jars, began production during World War II, and the business rapidly expanded in the post-war years, corresponding with growth in per capita pickle consumption.

A child-bearing stork was introduced as a mascot in the late 1960s, merging the stork baby mythology with the notion that pregnant women have an above average appetite for pickles. Vlasic marketed themselves as "the pickle pregnant women crave . . . after all, who's a better pickle expert?" This made the product unique and memorable. Later, during the 70's, when women were entering the workforce en masse, the Vlasic stork's commercials had the theme: "With the birth rate down, I deliver Vlasic pickles instead." The stork of today's advertising speaks in a voice reminiscent of Groucho Marx.

It was later sold to Campbell Soup Company. The product was sold to Vlasic Foods International on March 30, 1998.

On April 13, 1999, the company introduced the Vlasic Hamburger Stackers, made from naturally-grown but specially-cultivated cucumbers 40 cm (16") long and over 8 cm (3") in diameter, which enabled a single pickle chip to cover an entire hamburger.^[2]

Today, Vlasic is owned by Pinnacle Foods since its name change in 2001. ^[3]