She was famous. Very famous. In fact, in 1945, Fortune Magazine named her the second best-known woman in America, following First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
But let me tell you how she got her start.
The year was 1921, and in Minneapolis, the Washburn Flour Mill manufactured Gold Medal Flour, and they found themselves stuck with a massive surplus. After all, during World War I, American farmers were tasked to produce as much flour as possible so they could feed our troops and allies oversees. But after the war ended, demand plummeted, followed by sales.
So the marketing department came up with a national sales promotion for Gold Medal Flour. They ran an ad in the Saturday Evening Post, and the ad featured a contest in which readers could assemble a small jigsaw puzzle and mail it back to the company. Those who did would win a valuable prize (if by “valuable” you mean “a pincushion in the shape of a sack of Gold Medal Flour.” Seriously.)
The contest was a massive success, with over 30,000 people mailing in the completed jigsaw puzzles. But many of the entries were also accompanied by letters from housewives, who were asking for personalized baking advice – “Why doesn’t my cake cook evenly?” or “Do you have a good recipe for Blueberry Pie?”
The marketing executives saw this as an opportunity to connect with consumers, so they decided to personally respond to each letter. But there was a problem. The letters were from housewives. But the marketing executives – all of them – were men. So instead of having the responses coming from middle-aged men, they wanted the responses to come from someone the housewives could relate to.
So they needed someone who was creative and confident in the kitchen, was seen as “down to earth” and relatable, and whose advice and inspiration was highly sought after.
But where do you find such a person?
They invented her.
Her first name was chosen because it seemed friendly and familiar, while her last name was selected because it was the name of a former executive with the company.
Betty Crocker.
Seemingly overnight, the fictitious Betty Crocker became a cultural icon (a 1920’s version of a “social influencer!”) She received so many letters that the company decided to create her own radio show - the Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air. It became an instant hit and spread to more and more radio stations across the country before it eventually aired on the new NBC radio network. On this live program, the fictional Betty Crocker offered baking tips and answered customer questions on the air. The radio show would air from 1924 to 1953.
During the Great Depression, the radio program offered recipes for leftovers and advice on how to make nutritious meals with less. During WWII, Betty again came to the rescue, offering tips on how to make do with limited rations.
In 1949, an actress was hired to portray Betty on television. She appeared regularly on “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,” and that eventually led to her own program, “The Betty Crocker Star Matinee.”
Betty Crocker’s famous cake mixes were first introduced in 1947, and her first cookbook was published in 1950 (since then more than 80 million copies have been sold worldwide!)
At the height of her popularity, Betty Crocker was receiving 5,000 letters a day, and not all of them pertained only to cooking or baking. She was so highly trusted that people sought her advice on romance, raising children, balancing a budget, and even battling depression.
Betty Crocker was second most recognized woman in America, behind Eleanor Roosevelt, according to a 1945 Fortune magazine article. But that same article also exposed her as a fraud, revealing to the world that Betty Crocker did not really exist. The company braced for massive backlash, and their lucrative cake mix was being challenged by an upstart rival named Duncan Hines (who actually was a real person!)
How would America respond? Would consumers feel betrayed?
Not at all. The Betty Crocker name remains strong today. But for a while, the marketing executives held their breath, not sure how people would react when they found out that Betty Crocker wasn’t real.
In Scripture we find countless examples of the assurance that God does exist. And not only that, but God actually knows and loves each one of us.
Nearly 3,000 years ago, the nations and cultures surrounding Israel worshiped pagan idols and statues and even animals. The pagan people would go to great lengths to placate a wide assortment of cosmic beings and deities.
The Old Testament prophet Isaiah served as God’s spokesmen to the nation of Israel, and he spoke of a God who is active and engaged in the lives of His people. In Isaiah 41:13, God declares, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’”
Such a notion would have been revolutionary! After all, the pagan deities were distant and removed from humanity. And yet our God is actively engaged in all aspects of our lives. We are not an afterthought.
Sadly, there are many people around us who don’t realize that God is real. They may never attend church or open the Bible. But they can see your life, and I pray that when they do, they can see words and attitudes and actions that point to God.
Unlike the marketing experts who invented Betty Crocker, you aren’t called to convince others that God exists. But you are called to live your life as one who does believe.
And when people see that the way you live your life is different, they will take notice.
Friends, we are blessed to serve a risen Lord who not only offers His promise and assurance of eternal life, but also His power and presence in this life.
That truly is icing on the cake.
Joe
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