This episode explores the long standing battle for cola supremacy between everyone's favorites - Coke and Pepsi. From their beginnings as "medicinal beverages" to their divergent branding and marketing campaigns (Pepsi used famous celebrities while Coke opted for creating new faces – Santa Claus, Max Headroom, etc.) to the Pepsi Challenge and the height of the Cola Wars in the 1980's.
America is obsessed with potato chips – but just how did they become our side dish of choice? This episode explores it all from Lays' humble beginning being sold out of the back of Herman Lay's car to how Pringle's changed the very foundation of chips by making them all identical and stacking them.
Everyone screamed for ice cream – but two of the biggest brands – Haagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s – took two vastly different approaches in their marketing in order to win over consumers.
Mass produced cream-filled pastry – everyone loves ‘em! Can you tell the difference between Devil Dogs and Funny Bones? How about Ho Ho's and Yodels? No? That’s OK. We’ll clear it up for you along with the history of these brands you love.
Pizza Hut reigned supreme as the biggest-selling national pizza brand, but in the 70's they were starting to lose ground to a new idea...pizza delivery at home, which became widespread by a new player - Domino's. If ya can't beat 'em, join 'em, as Pizza Hut did in the 80's. The two have been trying to one-up each other with new innovations ever since.
Few foods make people weak in the knees the way chocolate can. Capitalizing on the addictive cocoa confectionary has been huge business for two companies who have been neck-and-neck for supremacy for almost a century – Mars and Hershey's. Whether it was forming entire towns dedicated to chocolate production or becoming the snack of choice for a popular extra terrestrial, these bars, bites, duds, kisses, pieces and patties continue to be irresistible...and very lucrative.
Though it's been around for centuries, the last 50 years has seen a boom in the coffee business. But just how did we go from a simple can of Maxwell House to be Runnin' on Dunkin' and spending $5 on a Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks? This episode explores just how America came to be dominated by premium cups of caffeinated brew.
There is a long history between three companies – Kellogg's, General Mills & Post – who made their names putting sugary bits of oats into boxes and enticing kids to eat breakfast. From its birth in a sanitarium to its recent healthy revolution, cereal has been a cheap and easy breakfast mainstay since the Industrial Revolution with these three companies truly thinking outside the (cereal) box.
Between "Have it Your Way" and "I'm Lovin' It," whether you love the Whopper or the Big Mac?from Red-headed clowns to paper crowns – Americans have so many iconic memories courtesy of the two most famous burger purveyors in the country. This episode explores how McDonald's and Burger King have done everything in their power to be on top of the burger heap.
In the ultra-competitive fast-food world, burgers have dominated since the beginning but some have tried to buckthe trend by enticing the non-burger eater. Whether it's Taco Bell thinking outside the bun, Subway offering diners the option to eat fresh, or KFC claiming finger-lickin' as their mantra, these three heavyweights have taken on a new kind of fast food battle.
It's dog-eat-dog as America's favorite franks have competed to boast the winning wiener for over a century. From the brand every kid knew how to spell to the one that claims to answer to a higher authority, Oscar-Meyer, Hebrew National and Nathan's Famous have launched a tasty battle in their fight to be top dog.
The dawn of TV led to many things, not the least of which was the much-maligned but quite beloved TV dinner. This amazing innovation brought frozen meals into every American home and two companies, Swanson's and Stouffer's, have led the revolution for over 50 years. But as time and taste changes, so must the business model of frozen food and these heavyweights have responded in vastly different ways.
Cookies became big business in the 20th century and there is no one bigger in the bakery aisle than Nabisco, whose Oreo's, Chips Ahoys and Fig Newtons became synonymous with sweets. That is, until another company called Keebler moved into their territory with some delicious Fudge Stripe Cookies and some very memorable little elves.
There’s no denying it, Americans love fast food. It’s a love affair that stems from our passion for cars. As the automobile became more affordable, people became more mobile; as we moved about, our food needed to learn how to move with us. Inevitably, the fast food industry was born, and delicious meals were wrapped and ready to go. Who are those fast food industry kings that have fed our appetites for good food and fast service? Whose logos and products have become both popular brands and immediately identifiable pop icons? We’re climbing behind the wheel and heading cross-country to uncover all there is to know about our fast food favorites. Over the course of an hour we’ll learn the story of the visionaries behind Kentucky Fried Chicken, Wendy’s and McDonald’s. We’ll meet the people closest to them--family, friends and employees and reveal the passion and circumstances that drove them to succeed. On the way, we’ll take a look at how their ingenuity completely changed the way Americans eat. Buckle up as we set out to explore the world of America’s fast food kings.
The unmistakable taste of a chocolate kiss. The popular chip-filled cookie inspired by a man dubbed "Famous". The soft serve magic on a cone that birthed hundreds of stores. This triple threat of delectably, sweet and satisfying treats better known as--Hershey's chocolate, Famous Amos Cookies and Carvel Ice Cream--are three of America's favorite all-time guilty pleasures. For each of these men, timing was everything and had it not been for their great vision and relentless passion, none of their products would have even seen the light of day. How is it that a chocolate first created by Milton Hershey could change the name of an entire city? What was it about the Panama hat and Hawaiian shirt of Wally Amos that sold so many chocolate chip cookies? With so much ice cream around, how did Tom Carvelas manage to get hundreds to line up for his creative ice cream concoctions? For some, success was fleeting. For others, the road is still paved with rich and creamy chocolate gold.
A quick fix is often the next best thing to a home cooked meal, dessert or snack. Nowhere else in American society do we see this fulfillment of need played out daily, but in the neighborhood grocery store. We often call these stores supermarkets because they stock an array of products designed to make our lives easier. From instant soup and pasta, to desserts and popcorn, there's not an inch of supermarket shelf or freezer space that doesn't offer something to be whipped up in a jiffy. Who are the innovators behind the dynasties of Campbell's Soup, Orville Redenbacher Popping Corn and pasta papa, Chef Boyardee? Discover where the concepts for these supermarket sensations were born and see where they might be in the future.