Marketing was not Clarence Crane's thing.
But it was clearly Ed Noble's thing. Noble's first conversations with Crane were about taking Life Savers to the next level. As a personal customer, he thoughts the mints had potential.
But Crane knew his place: He was an idea generator--he was already ready to move on to the next thing. Even as someone new to the marketing world, Noble was a student of how to grow ideas.
Ad Agencies for Life Savers ⭕
Delivery & Sales Vehicles ⭕
Life Savers for Health ⭕
Packaging ⭕
Slogans ⭕
Television Commercials ⭕
1912
Clarence Crane's marketing plan included several starting components:
Product name: Life Savers
Product embossing: Crane (emphasizing the inventor) Cleveland (emphasizing the locale)
Packaging: Cardboard tubes
Product placement: 🚧
Imagery: ocean, safety with life preservers, formally-dressed women
1913
Much is made, in articles about Life Savers, of all the early things Ed Noble established In Life Savers brand management. This is consolidated into the following article:
Differences between Crane's & Noble's Life Savers
1917
This black and white ad is in the public domain. Although I'm not certain that Ayer Incorporated produced it, it clearly has a feel that is quite similar to the 1919 ad.
1919
Ayer (N W) Incorporated's Black & white ad "This is the Life-Saver, This is the Life-Saver" includes hyphens (-) in the product's name and includes an advertising character reminiscent of the 1898 Michelin Man, Bibendum.
Important things to note this early in the product's brand history of the embossing on each candy:
- includes hyphens (- / .) in the product's name
- draws the Life Savers imprint on the candy differently (ie, the word "Savers" continues after "Life," which renders the word "Savers" upside down in the imprint
- Early on, it was singular "Life-Saver," versus plural, "Life Savers."
- On some of the embossings there was more space; on others, the letters fully filled up the circle.
versus 
versus
versus
versus
Retrieved from https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/ac-component/sova-nmah-ac-0059-ref5145
See also 1950s-1960s, during which the singular "Life Saver" was still embossed on candies.
See also 1978, in which a US trademark application included the plural, "Life Savers."
1920s
This unbranded truck is dated in the 1920s; it features Pep⭕Mint. The wheels have "Life Saver" on them (singular).
https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/169103
1925 a Black & White Silent Film Ad
This ad is so exciting just because it is so early. And it's for Cryst-⭕-Mint...demonstrating that other flavors were an emphasis even in the first decade.
https://aso.gov.au/titles/ads/lifesavers-advertisement/clip1/
1932
The Marx Brothers 1932 comedy, Horse Feathers, included one of the early product placements in cinema, according to https://carolynsonlinemagazine.wordpress.com/2015/09/06/the-life-saver-monument-in-gouverneur-n-y/
1935
Life Savers sponsored the radio show, "Life Savers Rendezvous, which played on NBC Blue Network, coast-to-coast. The show was complete, with an eponymous orchestra. The Cigarette Girl above was one of the characters. There was even a related song, "You're a Lifesaver," written by Ed Best and arranged by Lindsay McPhail. Sadly, the music isn't in MusicNotes.com; it appears to be out of production. But several people are selling copies, complete with the Life Savers logo on the front.
c1925-1949
Australia used Duro-Transparencies for advertising. They were designed to be viewed, illuminated by back-lighting. I am fascinated by the fact that Life Savers there is pink lettering. That doesn't match any of the branding I've observed elsewhere.
https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/136396
1938 the Trademark
Under the Act of February 20, 1905, 33 Stat. 724, Life Savers registered its mark (No. 355,158), with the following features (justia.com):
- "Life Savers" in white, rendered three times
- Stripes in yellow, green, orange, and purple
- "Five Flavor" in black text
- Rolls in 2 3/4" length, 3/4" width
- Packaging contains 11 candy disks with a hole
1939-40 New York World’s Fair
The fair's theme was "The World of Tomorrow." Life Savers sponsored a Candy Parachute Jump at the Flushing Meadows event. Advertisements for the events read:
"When you come to the New York world's Fair, we make you this bet: If Life Savers 250 ft. Parachute Jump doesn't take your breath away, a package of Pep⭕Mint Life Savers will!
"Everybody's breath of offends sometimes after eating, drinking, or smoking...Let Life Savers save yours!
"If you're on the look for a tasty mouthful, Cola Life Savers. They're Cola Life Savers. They're Cola at its delicious, most refreshing best.
"When you visit the New York World's Fair, don't miss the Life Savers Parachute Jump. It's a real thrill!"
"Children and adults alike enjoyed The Life Savers Candy Parachute Jump. Adults paid 40 cents a trip; children paid 25 cents, according to the Atlantic." https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/11/color-photos-of-the-1939-new-york-worlds-fair/545087/
Colored pictures are available of the Life Savers ride:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5059525/amp/Rare-color-photos-1939-World-s-Fair.html
Given the World War that was gearing up, the New York World Fair brochure was startlingly prescient--especially as it regarded parachutes falling and the use of machines to accommodate the unknown events of that tomorrow:
"The eyes of the Fair are on the future — not in the sense of peering toward the unknown nor attempting to foretell the events of tomorrow and the shape of things to come, but in the sense of presenting a new and clearer view of today in preparation for tomorrow; a view of the forces and ideas that prevail as well as the machines.' Source: (?https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5059525/amp/Rare-color-photos-1939-World-s-Fair.html
One can only imagine that this was stellar marketing coverage, given that 44.9 million people attended the fair! At the close of the fair, the Parachute Jump was moved to Coney Island (Marzlock 2010).
1940s to Early 1940s
Life Savers did a product collaboration with clothing designer Kirkland Hall:
1949
I read a story, and while it isn't fully validated, I sure hope it's true. An individual purporting to be Ed Noble's grandnephew (via his brother's family) has indicated that one of Life Savers' Christmas ads was inspired by his birth. You can read more about this in a 9 May 2016 comment on this page at CollectingCandy.com.
It's a very sweet story. A quick search indicated that there was a person born with the name Edward J. Noble, Jr. in his generation. And, incidentally enough, Noble indicated that his father's friend, Dick Neff, is the individual who corroborated his proof. After doing a little digging, I discovered that Neff is referred to as "a top creative exec" and "top copywriter and author" in the Variety magazine on 7 September 1960. So it is at least plausible.
So Ed, I know it's been 8 years since you wrote this comment, but if you'd like to talk about this--and any other memories of your Life Savers family--I'd be thrilled to chat!
1950
Back in 1909, the Royal Agricultural Society held its Royal Easter Show in Sydney, Australia. In 1950, as well as in quite a few other years, showbags featured have a) advertised products from Life Savers-related companies, including Beech-Nut, Mastercraft and Nestlé, and b) included samples of those products. Because these showbags are so collectable as ephemera, they are displayed at museums. The practice of marketing Life Savers on these showbags continues to this day. The Powerhouse Museum has an entire pavilion of them.
May 23, 1950
Life Savers experienced a challenge to its trademark. Curtiss Candy began selling rolls of flavored candy with a similar feature, in the form of multi-colored stripes. However, the judge did not agree that this feature, without the other accompanying features, constituted an infringement (justia.com).
1950s to 1960s
The Stokes Machine Co. made a 5 1/4" Life Savers embossing die. Using an Avery file folder label, it is marked, "Life Savers 1950s - 1960s die that grandpop designed." I'd love to know who 'grandpop' was! Specifically, the embossing tool was for "Life Saver", singular.
There is a full product line of Stokes Mach Co.'s tableting machines. The tabletting process is widely used in industry for the
"conversion of powders and granular materials to solid compact shapes. This operation is performed by machines of various mechanical and hydraulic types and productive capacities which have in common the ability to take powders, or materials which have been reduced to powder, measure the quantity required for each piece, and form a finished piece of specified shape, size and weight" [Stone].
This is a good description of what would be required for pressed dextrose candies like Pep⭕Mint.
Note: Every time Life Savers decided on a different embossing on the candies, a new die would have been required.
Stokes Tabletting catalog. Retrieved from https://images.app.goo.gl/RXrhmceu7exTZ5QG8
September 7, 1960
Back in the day, Noble sold Life Savers and used his money to buy ABC. So it shouldn't be surprising that television was a huge marketing opportunity for Life Savers. In this one copy of Variety magazine, there are indications that Life Savers sponsored the following shows:
- Talk Man
- The Shirley Temple Show
- Westerner
- Michael Shayne
Variety, 7 September 1969, retrieved from https://archive.org/details/variety220-1960-09
July 13, 1978
It's been challenging to pin down when imprinted Life Savers candies had their embossing changed from singular to plural. This appears to be the trademark change when that occurred. Trademark Serial #73178009 was filed on July 13, 1978; it was ultimately registered as #1130067 registered on January 29, 1980. The application included the following (trademarkia.com):
"Pressed mints and hard candy the drawing is amended to appear as follows: publish new cut 1914 in a different form."
c1980
The Italian museum Museum de la Marco has a box of rolls of Salvavidas.
http://museodelamarca.com/producto/1980s-salvavidas-dulces/
1982 Planters alters Lifesavers' name
Early in the product's history, there was a shift between using a hyphen and not (Life-Savers versus Life Savers). But Planters broke form by calling their candy division, "Nabisco Foods Inc., Lifesavers Division". This is a real shift, 70 years into the product's history.
1989 - Life Savers in The Berlin Airlift
If you don't know about the US military's "Operation Vittles," sending food to Germany, you should read up on that heartwarming story. Parts of the foods that were sent were called "Operation Little Vittles." Targeted toward children, they comprised of tiny linen parachutes (soon by school children), containing Life Savers and chocolate.
"From the Life Saver Corp. at Port Chester, N.Y., has come 1200 rolls of Life Savers...In all, approximately 18 tons (26,000 lbs.) of candy were airlifted from Chicopee to the needy children in the western sector of Berlin, Germany" (The Chocolate Pilot).
1991 - 80th Anniversary
To advertise Life Savers' 80th anniversary, Planters Life Savers Co. published Life's Delicious Moments: A Photo Documentary Celebrating 80 Years of the Good Life in America. Besides highlighting slice-of-life photos, the book highlights key advertisements from each of the following decades:
- 1910 to 1920 - 5¢ tin featuring a female swimmer
- 1920 to 1930 -
- 1930 to 1940 - Life Savers for enjoy-mint! (Brunette bathing beauty in red swim dress)
- 1940 to 1950 - Life Savers to WW2 soldiers: "Today our armed forces are ordering more and more Life Savers hard candy for shipment out to CENSORED, AND CENSORED, AND CENSORED. So, If you have trouble getting some favorite flavor...you will know that some soldier, sailor or marine is enjoying it somewhere, someplace."
- 1950 to 1960 - A boy and a girl, breaking a wishbone, both wishing for Life Savers.
- 1960 to 1970
- 1970 to 1980
- 1980 to 1990 - 1986 ad, "Hole Lotta Fresh," featuring a royal blue background and a single white ⭕ mint.
1993 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Tie-In
- Sonic 3 Blue Rad
- Sonic 3 Hot Rings
- Sonic 3 Tangy Fruits
- Sonic 3 Wild Sour Berries
- Sonic 3 Five Flavor - link
Not sure why, but these are all boiled candies, not pressed dextrose. Perhaps they were interested in upping interest in the boiled candies. Alternately, it could be that these jewel like colors showed up better in advertisements.
This graphic is from the notes in my personal collection.
- The television ad includes Hot Rings, Tangy Fruits, and Wild Sour Berries but not Blue Rad.
- The back of the cereal box included all but Wild Sour Berries. I believe that these cereal boxes included a 🆓 roll of these tie-in Life Savers.
- Sonic the Hedgehog™️ was featured on all of the flavors except Five Flavors, which featured Knuckles the Echidna™️.
- Our collection actually has all of these flavors, but none of them have the special Sonic 3 labels. The only example could be Blue Rad; we have black raspberry, but Blue Rad may have had an extra ingredient, malic acid, for tartness.
©️2024 by north-east-treasure-hunters; used with permission.
1997 “A Million Ways to Refresh Life”
McCall described this competition, which was included on all of the following flavors: Life Savers Five Flavor (5@), Butter Rum, Wild Sour Berries (4@) and Tropical Fruits (4@), as well as Pep-O-Mint and Wint-O-Green.
"All specially marked packages contain a printed message inside the wrapper that reveals if the package is an instant winner, with instructions on how to claim the prize.
"1 grand-prize winner will receive $1 million; 25 1st-prize winners each will receive a WaveRunner watersport vehicle; 2,500@ 2nd prize winners will each receive a Noodle Raft, and 1,000,000@ 3rd-prize winners each will receive a Life Savers key ring."
Retrieved from https://www.mcall.com/1997/08/13/lucky-life-saver-roll-could-make-winner-instant-millionaire/
2012 - 100th Anniversary
The Chattanooga offices were featured for the Centennial, as were several special products:
2018
The Mexican museum MODO Museo del Objeto del Objeto features several rolls of Salvavidas, Veteados (Swirled) and Five Flavors.
https://elmodo.mx/breve-historia-de-los-dulces-salvavidas/
Sources
"The Chocolate Pilot," 1989, PBS.org, retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/airlift-chocolate-pilot/
1950, May 23; Life Savers Corporation v. Curtiss Candy Co, 182 F.2d 4 (7th Cir. 1950); Retrieved from https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/182/4/73358/
Marzlock, Ron. "After the first World’s Fair, a world of demolition," QCheon.com, 1 July 2010. Retrieved from https://www.qchron.com/qboro/i_have_often_walked/after-the-first-world-s-fair-a-world-of-demolition/article_9c57fd46-2270-5a1e-9224-8cfc7ea49b79.html
Life's Delicious Moments: A Photo Documentary Celebrating 80 Years of the Good Life in America, Planters Life Savers Co., 1991.
Trademarkia.com, 1978, retrieved from https://www.trademarkia.com/life-savers-73178009
World's Fair. Life Savers parachute tower, Gottscho-Schleisner Collection (Library of Congress), 1939-1940.
Other photos ©️2024 and beyond, Karen Smith-Will.