**History and Evolution**:
– Cracker Jack, a sugar-coated popcorn with peanuts, has been sold in North America since the early 19th century.
– Goodwin Brothers in Philadelphia were listed as manufacturers of sugar-coated popcorn in 1886.
– Louis Rueckheim discovered a method to separate molasses-coated popcorn kernels in 1896.
– The Cracker Jack name and tagline were registered in 1896.
– Henry Eckstein developed the wax-sealed package for freshness in 1899.
– The packaging, known as the Eckstein Triple Proof Package, was introduced.
– The brand was owned by Borden in 1964 and later sold to PepsiCo in 1997.
– Production was transferred to Wyandot Snacks in Ohio.
– Frito-Lay announced a reformulation of Cracker Jack in 2013.
**Mascots and Branding**:
– Sailor Jack and dog Bingo were introduced as mascots in 1916.
– They were registered as trademarks in 1919.
– Sailor Jack was modeled after Robert Rueckheim.
– The mascots became iconic and were prominently featured in the brand’s imagery.
**Product Line and Innovations**:
– Cracker JackD, a new product line, was introduced in 2013 with black packaging.
– It differed from the original Cracker Jack in packaging and prizes.
– Power Bites under the Cracker JackD line faced criticism for caffeine addition.
– The expansion of the product line included other salty snacks.
– Cracker JackD did not feature prizes in packages.
**Baseball Connection and Advertising**:
– Cracker Jack is commonly sold at baseball games and was mentioned in the song ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’
– The brand sponsored the Old-Timers Classic game and celebrated its 100th anniversary at Wrigley Field.
– New York Yankees briefly replaced Cracker Jack with Crunch ‘n Munch in 2004.
– Cracker Jack began TV advertising in 1955 and featured various celebrities in commercials.
– The brand’s influence in baseball and advertising has been significant over the years.
**Cracker Jack Prizes and Pop-Culture Influence**:
– Cracker Jack included Toy Surprises in each box, with prizes starting to be included in 1912.
– The evolution of prizes included designs by Carey Cloud and the use of paper prizes during WWII.
– Frito-Lay replaced physical prizes with paper displaying riddles and jokes.
– Cracker Jack prizes became iconic in pop culture, with mentions in songs and movies.
– The brand’s influence on pop culture and the nostalgia associated with its prizes have been enduring.
Cracker Jack is an American brand of snack food that consists of molasses-flavored, caramel-coated popcorn, and peanuts, well known for being packaged with a prize of trivial value inside. The Cracker Jack name and slogan, "The More You Eat The More You Want", were registered in 1896. Some food historians[who?] consider it the first junk food.
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| Product type | Caramel coated popcorn and peanuts |
|---|---|
| Owner | PepsiCo (via Frito-Lay) |
| Introduced | 1896 |
| Previous owners | The Cracker Jack Company Borden |
| Website | fritolay.com/crackerjack |
Cracker Jack is famous for its connection to baseball lore. The Cracker Jack brand has been owned and marketed by Frito-Lay since 1997. Frito-Lay announced in 2016 that the toy gift would no longer be provided and had been replaced with a QR code which can be used to download a baseball-themed game.