Founded 1942 Key people Bob Gamgort | Founder Frank Vlasic Products Pickled cucumbers | |
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Headquarters Parsippany, NJ, United States Owner Pinnacle Foods, Bain & Company | ||
Vlasic Pickles is an American brand of pickles currently owned by Pinnacle Foods. Since its introduction in 1942, it has become one of the most popular pickle brands in the United States.
History
Frank Vlasic immigrated from Croatia to Detroit in 1912 and started a small creamery with savings from his factory job. His son Joseph acquired a milk route in 1922, which eventually grew into the state's largest dairy distributor. In 1937, Vlasic was approached to distribute a home-style pickle, later marketing their fresh-packed pickle in glass jars. 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 1974, 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?" The modern Vlasic Pickle Stork speaks in a style reminiscent of Groucho Marx, holds a pickle like a cigar, and is voiced by Doug Preis.
Vlasic Pickles was sold to Campbell Soup Company in 1978. The product was spun off 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.
Today, Vlasic is owned by Pinnacle Foods since its name change in 2001. The Vlasic stork was shown in "Icons," a MasterCard commercial from 2005 where many famous advertising icons from food and cleaning equipment are shown having dinner together.
The cucumbers used in Vlasic pickles are grown in Michigan, including the cities of Mount Pleasant and Kalamazoo, and processed at its plant in Imlay City.