Popsicle is the most popular brand of
ice popAn ice pop is a frozen water-based dessert on a stick. It is made by freezing coloured, flavoured liquid around a stick. Once the liquid freezes solid, the stick can be used as a handle to hold the ice pop. In Ireland the term "ice pop" is used, but it is usually called a lolly ice...
in the U.S. and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Popsicle is a trademark owned by
UnileverUnilever is a multinational corporation, formed of British and Dutch parentage, that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products...
, although it has
entered the general vernacularA genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for a general class of product or service, rather than the specific meaning intended by the trademark's holder...
in North America. It was founded in
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
In 1905, Frank Epperson, then 11 years old, left a stir stick in a mixture of powdered
sodaSoda refers to:* a chemical compound containing sodium** Sodium carbonate, washing soda or soda ash** Sodium bicarbonate, baking soda** Sodium hydroxide, caustic soda** Sodium oxide* Soft drinks* Soda water, carbonated water...
and water out in the porch. That night, temperatures in San Francisco reached a record low. When Epperson woke the next morning, he discovered the drink had frozen to the stir stick, creating a fruit flavored 'icicle,' a treat he had named the
Epsicle.
Eighteen years later, in 1923, Epperson introduced the Epsicle to the public for the first time at an
Alameda, CaliforniaAlameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on a small island of the same name next to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. An additional part of the city is Bay Farm Island, which is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. The city has a small town feeling...
amusement park,
Neptune BeachNeptune Beach was an amusement park on the shore of San Francisco Bay in the city of Alameda, California. The park was served by the Southern Pacific Railway and ferries from San Francisco. It operated from 1917 until it closed in 1939....
.
Popsicle is the most popular brand of
ice popAn ice pop is a frozen water-based dessert on a stick. It is made by freezing coloured, flavoured liquid around a stick. Once the liquid freezes solid, the stick can be used as a handle to hold the ice pop. In Ireland the term "ice pop" is used, but it is usually called a lolly ice...
in the U.S. and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Popsicle is a trademark owned by
UnileverUnilever is a multinational corporation, formed of British and Dutch parentage, that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products...
, although it has
entered the general vernacularA genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for a general class of product or service, rather than the specific meaning intended by the trademark's holder...
in North America. It was founded in
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
History
In 1905, Frank Epperson, then 11 years old, left a stir stick in a mixture of powdered
sodaSoda refers to:* a chemical compound containing sodium** Sodium carbonate, washing soda or soda ash** Sodium bicarbonate, baking soda** Sodium hydroxide, caustic soda** Sodium oxide* Soft drinks* Soda water, carbonated water...
and water out in the porch. That night, temperatures in San Francisco reached a record low. When Epperson woke the next morning, he discovered the drink had frozen to the stir stick, creating a fruit flavored 'icicle,' a treat he had named the
Epsicle.
Eighteen years later, in 1923, Epperson introduced the Epsicle to the public for the first time at an
Alameda, CaliforniaAlameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on a small island of the same name next to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. An additional part of the city is Bay Farm Island, which is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. The city has a small town feeling...
amusement park,
Neptune BeachNeptune Beach was an amusement park on the shore of San Francisco Bay in the city of Alameda, California. The park was served by the Southern Pacific Railway and ferries from San Francisco. It operated from 1917 until it closed in 1939....
. In 1924, Epperson applied for a patent for his "
frozen confectionery" called the Epsicle ice pop. He renamed it the Popsicle, allegedly at the insistence of his children. It was originally available in seven flavors and marketed as a "frozen drink on a stick." In 1925, Epperson sold the rights to the Popsicle to the Joe Lowe Company of New York.
Good HumorGood Humor is an American brand of ice cream novelties sold from ice cream trucks as well as stores and other retail outlets. Originally, Good Humors were chocolate coated ice cream bars on a stick, but the line was expanded over the years to include a wide range of novelties...
, a subsidiary of
UnileverUnilever is a multinational corporation, formed of British and Dutch parentage, that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products...
, now owns the rights.
In April 1939, a
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
named Popsicle Pete was introduced on the radio program
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as having won the "Typical American Boy Contest." The character told listeners that they could win presents if they sent packaging from Popsicle products to the manufacturer. He appeared in print and television advertisements, and activity books until 1995.
In June 2006, Popsicles with "natural flavors and colors" were introduced, replacing the original versions. In addition, Popsicle provides several ‘Sugar Free,’ 'No Sugar Added, ' Fat-free and vitamin infused options to meet the dietary needs of a wide variety of consumers.
Advertising
The wrapper on traditional Popsicle brand ice bars described their bar as "a quiescently frozen confection." In this case, "quiescent" means that unlike
ice creamIce cream or ice-cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners. In some cases, artificial flavourings and colorings are used in...
, this confection is not stirred while being frozen.
Currently the Popsicle brand uses an advertising
sloganA slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish and Irish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm...
that reads "If it's Popsicle, it's possible". This slogan is printed on the advertising materials that Popsicle gives to vendors and is used throughout advertising and other communications as well.
Related snacks
Creamsicle is a brand name, also owned by Unilever, for a frozen dessert which resembles an
ice popAn ice pop is a frozen water-based dessert on a stick. It is made by freezing coloured, flavoured liquid around a stick. Once the liquid freezes solid, the stick can be used as a handle to hold the ice pop. In Ireland the term "ice pop" is used, but it is usually called a lolly ice...
, with a center composed of vanilla ice cream, and an exterior layer of flavored ice (all around a wooden stick). Popular flavors for Creamsicles include
orangeAn orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus ×sinensis and its fruit. The orange is a hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo and tangerine...
,
blue raspberryBlue raspberry is a common flavor for syrups, candies, and other food items.It is derived from the juices of the Rubus leucodermis plant, otherwise known as the whitebark raspberry....
, lime, grape and
raspberryThe raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the subgenus Idaeobatus of the genus Rubus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
. Creamsicles are available in several varieties, including 100 Calorie Bars, Low Fat Bars, No Sugar Added Bars and Sugar Free Bars.
50-50 bar is an alternative name for a Creamsicle.
In the United States, National Creamsicle Day is celebrated on 14 August annually.
Fudgsicle is another variation; it, too, is a registered trademark of Unilever. This frozen dessert is chocolate-flavored and creamy, with a flavor and texture somewhere between a water ice pop and ice cream. Fudgsicles are also available in 100 Calorie Bars, Low Fat Bars, No Sugar Added Bars and Sugar Free Bars.
Slow Melt Pops are newer to the Popsicle product line. The addition of a small amount of gelatin helps the pops stay frozen longer than traditional ice pops. Slow Melt Pops are available in several varieties, including
Slow Melt Mighty Minis, Fantastic Fruity, Swirlwinds, and ‘Ice Age’ movie-themed
Slow Melt Pops.
Trivia
- Cherry is the No. 1 Popsicle ice pop flavor
- Popsicle ice pop sticks have riddles on them, but you have to eat the whole ice pop to find the answer
- During World War II, the Eighth Airforce Unit chose Popsicle ice pops as a symbol of American life
- The very first “ice cream man” sold Popsicle ice pops from a horse-drawn cart to children in Nebraska
- The Twin Popsicle ice pop was invented during The Great Depression, so two children could share an ice pop for a nickel
- Some Popsicle ice pops are made from the outside in.
- Popsicle has several products based on popular cartoon and comic book characters, including Dora the Explorer
Dora the Explorer is an American animated television series that is carried on the Nickelodeon cable television network. A pilot episode for the series aired in 1999, and Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000. The show was created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, Rick Velleu and Eric...
, SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series and media franchise. It is currently Nickelodeon's highest rated show, the most distributed property of MTV Networks, and among Nicktoons Network's most-watched shows...
and Spider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer and editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
.
External links