Vintage Sunbeam Bread Sign: Original 1958 Extra Large Tin Litho – VS6413

Sunbeam Bread Company And Little Miss Sunbeam History

In 1942, illustrator Ellen Barbara Segner was commissioned by the Quality Bakers of America to create a marketing symbol of a young child. Over six months she submitted hundreds of sketches before coming across the girl who would become the first Miss Sunbeam in Southern Indiana.

Sunbeam bread is a brand that has been around for over 75 years. The bread is known for its soft, light texture and for being the first bread in America to be sold pre-sliced. However, what many people might not know is the story behind the iconic Little Miss Sunbeam logo. The Little Miss Sunbeam logo was created in 1942 by a New York advertising agency named D'Arcy Advertising Company. The agency was hired by Quality Bakers of America, the company that owned the Little Miss Sunbeam brand, to create a new logo for the bread. Quality Bakers of America wanted a logo that would appeal to families and children and that would help set Little Miss Sunbeam apart from other bread brands.

The D'Arcy Advertising Company came up with the idea of using a little girl to represent the brand. They wanted the little girl to be friendly, happy, and approachable. They also wanted her to be a symbol of the warmth and freshness of the bread.  In 1942, illustrator Ellen Barbara Segner was commissioned by the Quality Bakers of America to create a marketing symbol of a young child. Over six months she submitted hundreds of sketches before coming across the girl who would become the first Miss Sunbeam in Southern Indiana. Segner was a talented artist who had worked for several different advertising agencies before she was hired by D'Arcy Advertising Company. She was known for her ability to create cute and whimsical characters, and her drawing of the Little Miss Sunbeam logo is no exception. The logo features a little girl with blonde hair and a big smile, wearing a yellow sun hat and a blue and white polka dot dress. She is holding a basket of bread and surrounded by sunbeams. The image of the holiday Little Miss Sunbeam first appeared on a billboard in the 1950’s.

The Little Miss Sunbeam logo was an immediate hit with consumers. It appeared on billboards, in magazines, and on television commercials. Children loved the cute little girl, and parents appreciated the wholesome, family-friendly image that the logo conveyed. The Little Miss Sunbeam brand quickly became one of the most recognizable and popular bread brands in the country.

Over the years, the Little Miss Sunbeam logo has undergone a few changes, but the basic design has remained the same. In the 1950s, the logo was updated to reflect the changing times. Little Miss Sunbeam's dress was changed to a more modern style, and her hair was styled in a more fashionable way. In the 1960s, the logo was updated again, this time to include the tagline "Enriched with vitamins and minerals." This was done to highlight the nutritional benefits of the bread. The popularity of the brand, and its advertising extended as far as U.S. soldiers in Vietnam would state that they were members of the "Little Miss Sunbeam Club," as they had no wounds as declared in the "batter-whipped" bread's promotional claim of "no holes" ensuring freshness and firmness.

Flowers Foods, the largest distributor of Sunbeam bread, has used this image of Little Miss Sunbeam on billboards and bread bags during the holiday season, in their Sunbeam markets, since 2001. Today, the Little Miss Sunbeam logo is still going strong. It can be found on the packaging of all Little Miss Sunbeam bread products, and it is still beloved by generations of Americans. The Little Miss Sunbeam brand has become a symbol of quality, freshness, and family values, and the logo is a testament to the power of great design and the importance of branding in creating a successful product.