Wednesday, September 19, 2012

1972 wrapper for Eskimo Slush Stik


This is an unused wrapper, dated 1972, for Eskimo's Slush Stik.

The orange-and-white wrapper, which measures 2¾ inches by 9¼ inches, was designed to hold a three-ounce "Orange Frozen Confection" (more on that in a moment).

Does anyone remember eating one of these?1

The Slush Stik was clearly one of the lesser-known products once offered by the Eskimo Pie Corporation, which was best known for its namesake — the Eskimo Pie. The Slush Stik was probably not a very long-lived product, either. It's not hard to find online auctions or images featuring this exact same 1972 wrapper. So I haven't exactly stumbled upon anything terribly rare (or desirable) here.

Here is the other text that appears within the folds of the wrapper:
  • ESKIMO, SLUSH STIK AND THE ASSOCIATED PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION ARE THE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF ESKIMO PIE CORPORATION FOR PRODUCTS MADE BY IT OR UNDER ITS AUTHORITY OR DIRECTION. © 1972 E.P.C., RICHMOND, VA. 23219 PRINTED IN U.S.A.
  • INGREDIENTS: WATER, SUGAR, CORN SWEETENER, CITRIC ACID, CELLULOSE GUM, GUAR GUM, CARRAGEENAN, SODIUM CITRATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, GUM ARABIC, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, ARTIFICIAL COLOR.
  • MFD. BY WHITE DAIRY
    FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS2

And, finally, here is some quick trivia (primarily from Wikipedia) about those beloved Eskimo Pies.
  • Invented by Christian Kent Nelson3
  • Were originally called I-Scream Bars
  • First produced in Iowa in 1921 with help from fledgling chocolate-maker Russell Stover (who is credited with changing the product's name to Eskimo Pie)
  • Sales averaged one million per day by spring 1922
  • Eskimo Pie Corporation was created in 1921; sold to U.S. Foil Company (maker of Reynolds Wrap) in 1924; spun off from Reynolds in 1992; acquired by CoolBrands International (now Swisher Hygiene) in 2000; and acquired by Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings (a subsidiary of NestlĂ©) in 2007.
  • Got all that?

Footnotes
1. The confection, not the wrapper.
2. I was surprised to learn that Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas. Its nickname is "Hell on the Border."
3. This anecdote regarding the beginnings of Eskimo Pies appears on FundingUniverse.com:
"Company legend has it that [Christian Kent Nelson] launched the frozen novelty industry in 1921 in response to a young customer's indecision. The oft-repeated story recounts that eight-year-old Douglas Ressenden only had enough money for one treat, but could not decide between an ice cream sandwich and a chocolate candy bar. Nelson, too, soon found himself confounded over the dilemma and started to wonder, 'why not combine the two treats?' The teacher with the heart of an inventor spent the next few months formulating a mixture of cocoa butter and chocolate that would cling to a core of vanilla ice cream."

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