Bear-shaped honey bottle: Difference between revisions

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Many honey producers market their products in '''bear-shaped bottles''' that have come to be popularly known as "honeybears."  One study shows that consumers do not pay significantly different prices for honey that is marketed in bear-shaped bottles as compared to other plastic containers, but also notes that some 15.5 percent of the honey sold in a sample taken in 1995 was packaged in such bottles.<ref>Laurian J. Unnevehr and Fatoumata C. Gouzou. 1998. Retail Premiums for Honey Characteristics. Agribusiness 14(1):49-54.</ref>  The practice reportedly dates back to 1957, when Ralph Gamber, future president of the Dutch Gold Honey company, reasoned that "a bear likes honey, why not a bear of honey?"<ref>Bears celebrate 40 years of holding honey. ''The News and Record'', May 19, 1997.</ref>
Many honey producers market their products in '''bear-shaped bottles''' that have come to be popularly known as "honeybears."  One study shows that consumers do not pay significantly different prices for honey that is marketed in bear-shaped bottles as compared to other plastic containers, but also notes that some 15.5 percent of the honey sold in a sample taken in 1995 was packaged in such bottles.<ref>Laurian J. Unnevehr and Fatoumata C. Gouzou. 1998. Retail Premiums for Honey Characteristics. Agribusiness 14(1):49-54.</ref>  The practice reportedly dates back to 1957, when Ralph Gamber, future president of the Dutch Gold Honey company, reasoned that "a bear likes honey, why not a bear of honey?"<ref>Bears celebrate 40 years of holding honey. ''The News and Record'', May 19, 1997.</ref>


As with many such ideas, the origin of bear shaped honey bottles is not totally clear-cut.  Edward Rachins, for example, applied for a patent on a bear-shaped bottle several years before Gamber hit upon his idea.<ref>Edward Rachin. 1950. Bottle of similar article. [http://www.google.com/patents?id=FIZzAAAAEBAJ U.S. Patent D166995]</ref>  It was Gamber's company, however, that popularized the honeybear.  Plastics were not yet as ubiquitous or as easily produced as they are today and the idea was a gamble but the idea immediately payed off;<ref>Honey firm finds bull market for its bear-shaped jars. '''Central Penn Business Journal'',  Dec 18, 1998.</ref> honeybears quickly became a cultural icon.  In the fall of 2007, Dutch Gold held a naming contest for the honeybear and the Gamber family selected "Nugget" from among the entries.<ref>[http://www.dutchgoldhoney.com/store/community_events.asp Dutch Gold Community Events] Retrieved July 11, 2008.</ref>
As with many such ideas, the origin of bear shaped honey bottles is not totally clear-cut.  Edward Rachins, for example, applied for a patent on a bear-shaped bottle several years before Gamber hit upon his idea.<ref>Edward Rachin. 1950. Bottle of similar article. [http://www.google.com/patents?id=FIZzAAAAEBAJ U.S. Patent D166995]</ref>  It was Gamber's company, however, that popularized the honeybear.  Plastics were not yet as ubiquitous or as easily produced as they are today and the idea was a gamble but it immediately payed off;<ref>Honey firm finds bull market for its bear-shaped jars. '''Central Penn Business Journal'',  Dec 18, 1998.</ref> honeybears quickly became a cultural icon.  In the fall of 2007, Dutch Gold held a naming contest for the honeybear and the Gamber family selected "Nugget" from among the entries.<ref>[http://www.dutchgoldhoney.com/store/community_events.asp Dutch Gold Community Events] Retrieved July 11, 2008.</ref>


Today, one may find a variety of shapes and sizes of bear-shaped honey bottles on the shelf at grocery stores or online.  There are even websites where one may buy unused bear bottles for packaging and selling one's own products.
Today, one may find a variety of shapes and sizes of bear-shaped honey bottles on the shelf at grocery stores or online.  There are even websites where one may buy unused bear bottles for packaging and selling one's own products.

Revision as of 13:25, 11 July 2008

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Many honey producers market their products in bear-shaped bottles that have come to be popularly known as "honeybears." One study shows that consumers do not pay significantly different prices for honey that is marketed in bear-shaped bottles as compared to other plastic containers, but also notes that some 15.5 percent of the honey sold in a sample taken in 1995 was packaged in such bottles.[1] The practice reportedly dates back to 1957, when Ralph Gamber, future president of the Dutch Gold Honey company, reasoned that "a bear likes honey, why not a bear of honey?"[2]

As with many such ideas, the origin of bear shaped honey bottles is not totally clear-cut. Edward Rachins, for example, applied for a patent on a bear-shaped bottle several years before Gamber hit upon his idea.[3] It was Gamber's company, however, that popularized the honeybear. Plastics were not yet as ubiquitous or as easily produced as they are today and the idea was a gamble but it immediately payed off;[4] honeybears quickly became a cultural icon. In the fall of 2007, Dutch Gold held a naming contest for the honeybear and the Gamber family selected "Nugget" from among the entries.[5]

Today, one may find a variety of shapes and sizes of bear-shaped honey bottles on the shelf at grocery stores or online. There are even websites where one may buy unused bear bottles for packaging and selling one's own products.

References

  1. Laurian J. Unnevehr and Fatoumata C. Gouzou. 1998. Retail Premiums for Honey Characteristics. Agribusiness 14(1):49-54.
  2. Bears celebrate 40 years of holding honey. The News and Record, May 19, 1997.
  3. Edward Rachin. 1950. Bottle of similar article. U.S. Patent D166995
  4. Honey firm finds bull market for its bear-shaped jars. 'Central Penn Business Journal, Dec 18, 1998.
  5. Dutch Gold Community Events Retrieved July 11, 2008.