Keebler Company

Keebler Company
Public
Industry Food processing
Founded Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (1853)
Founder Godfrey Keebler
Headquarters Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.
Area served
 Nationwide
Products cookies
crackers
Parent Kellogg Company
Website www.keebler.com

The Keebler Company is the largest cookie and cracker manufacturer in the United States. Founded in 1853, it has produced numerous baked snacks.[1] Keebler has marketed its brands such as Cheez-It (which have the Sunshine Biscuits brand), Chips Deluxe, Club Crackers, E.L. Fudge Cookies, Famous Amos, Fudge Shoppe Cookies, Murray cookies, Austin, Plantation, Vienna Fingers, Town House Crackers, Wheatables, Sandie's Shortbread, Chachos and Zesta Crackers, among others. The Keebler slogans are "Uncommonly Good" and "a little elf magic goes a long way". Tom Shutter and Leo Burnett wrote the familiar jingle.[1]

Company history

Keebler Chips Deluxe Rainbow cookies
Keebler Delivery Truck, US 23, Michigan

Godfrey Keebler, of German descent, opened a bakery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1853. In 1927, this bakery and others formed the United Biscuit Company, which at one point was headquartered in West Drayton, Middlesex, England.[2]

Keebler-Weyl Bakery became the official baker of Girl Scout Cookies in 1936, the first commercial company to bake the cookies (the scouts and their mothers had done it previously). By 1978, four companies were producing the cookies.[3] Little Brownie Bakers is the Keebler division still licensed to produce the cookies.

Keebler was acquired by United Biscuits in 1974.[4] In 1995, United Biscuits sold Keebler to a partnership between Flowers Industries and Artal Luxembourg, a private equity firm.[5] Artal Luxembourg sold its holdings in Keebler in an IPO in 1998.[6]

In March 2001, The Keebler Company was acquired by the Kellogg Company.[1] At that time, headquarters were based in Elmhurst, Illinois.[7] Currently, Keebler has manufacturing plants in United States, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Keebler Elves

The animated Keebler Elves, led by "Ernest J. Keebler", or "Ernie", rank among the best-known characters from commercials.[1] The elves have appeared in countless television advertisements throughout the years, shown baking their unique products. In the commercials, The Keebler tree logo is often turned into the tree in which the elves reside.

Leo Burnett Worldwide, an advertising agency, created the elves in 1968, calling the bakery "The Hollow Tree Factory."[2]

J.J. Keebler was the "blustery" original head elf in 1969 and was featured in a classroom film about how animated commercials are made, "Show and Sell", with J.J.'s voice done by Alan Reed Sr. Ernie Keebler became "head elf" in 1970.[8] White-haired Ernie wears a green jacket, a white shirt with a yellow tie, a red vest, and floppy shoes.[8]

Ernie Keebler was first voiced by Walker Edmiston, and then later by Parley Baer.

Other elves were Fryer Tuck (who promoted "Munch-ems"), Zoot and J.J. (known for Pizzarias), Ernie's mother Ma Keebler, young Elmer Keebler, Buckets (who threw fudge on the cookies), Fast Eddie (who wrapped the products), Sam (the peanut butter baker), Roger (the jeweler), Doc (the doctor and cookie maker), Zack (the fudge shoppe supervisor), Flo (the accountant), Leonardo (the artist),[2] Elwood (who ran through the dough),[8] Professor, Edison, Larry and Art.[2] Many of the Keebler commercials were narrated by the announcer Danny Dark. The first Keebler elves were drawn by children's author/illustrator and commercial artist Roger Bradfield.

List of Keebler Snacks

Examples of Keebler products include:

References

External links