Vlasic Pickles is an American brand of pickles currently owned by Conagra Brands. Since its introduction in 1942, it has become one of the most popular pickle brands in the United States.
History
Franjo Vlasic emigrated from Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 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. It 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 long and over in diameter, which enabled a single pickle chip to cover an entire hamburger. In early 2001, the company voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and its pickle and barbecue sauce units were sold to H. J. Heinz. Today, Vlasic is owned by Pinnacle Foods, a subsidiary of Conagra Brands, since its name changein 2001. The Vlasic Stork was shown in "Icons", a MasterCardcommercial from 2005 where many famous advertising icons from food and cleaning equipment are shown having dinner together. On April 10, 2019 at the Conagra Brands Investor Day event, Tom McGough, Conagra Co-Chief Operating Officer, announced that Vlasic Pickle Chips, made from vacuum-fried pickles, were in development. 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.
