Looking Back At Elsie the Cow
During my column research I often find myself drawn to the pure cuteness of some of the old ads.
One of the eye catchers is Elsie the Cow. She was first introduced in a series of Borden Company medical journal print ads in 1936. She was a part of a group of cartoon cows that boasted of the purity of Borden's milk. The ads became wildly popular as radios tuned in, bill boards erected magazines and even milk bottle caps. Elsie was a star!
In the beginning she was just a fictional image but Borden soon realized they needed a live cow and up for the task was a seven-year-old blue blooded Jersey now and forever to be known as Elsie. She was given a blanket with her name on it and was shown to the public, as they walked through the Borden Futuristic Agriculture Exhibit. In 1940 she was asked to be in the New York World's Fair but was unable to attend because she was a co-star in the movie Little Men.
To solve this dilemma, Borden's arranged a marriage of sorts and introduced her husband, Elmer.
You may recognize him as his drawing is on the label of every bottle of Elmer's Glue All. Elsie was a wholesome image who grew to embody the personality of a housewife with a little apron to boot. She could talk and stand up right in the advertising campaigns.
Elsie and Elmer went on to have a family, just as many Americans did, and they introduced baby Beulah. Being so popular, she became the mascot for the entire line of Borden's dairy products. Elsie went on several live tours, promoted U.S. War Bonds, appeared on What's My Line. As she continued the marriage in 1947, the couple had another calf with a contest to name it and she gave birth to a bull at the New York Macy's department store. The winning name was Beauregard.
In 1957 the couple welcomed twins, Larabee and Lobelia. Elsie's fame lasted well over 30 years and she retired in the 1960s, though Borden's kept the image on their products. In 2000, Elsie was named one of the Top Ten advertising icons of all time. In 2007, she helped celebrate 150 years of products.
Then, in 2020, Borden's declared bankruptcy and now this new generation will miss out on a delightful sweet cow, named Elsie.
On a sad note, the original Elsie died in 1941 in a car accident. She was buried at her home on the Walker-Gordon Farm in Plainsboro, New Jersey. Her grave is marked with a fitting inscription "one of the great Elsie's of our time."
She was quietly and quickly replaced, what a sad thought. I'm sure there was something in this article that you learned just by looking back.