1960
INTRODUCTION OF THE FAMILY PACK
In 1960, McKee Baking Company pioneered the “family pack,” a family sized carton of 12 or more cellophane wrapped cakes. Individually sold, 12 cakes would sell for a total of 60¢. The price of the new 12-count family pack carton was 49¢.
LITTLE DEBBIE® IS CREATED
Ever wonder where the name Little Debbie came from? From O.D. McKee’s granddaughter, of course! O.D. thought his granddaughter, Debbie, would be the perfect face for his delicious treats, and on August 23, 1960, the brand was born.
LITTLE DEBBIE PORTRAIT BY PEARL MANN
The first full-color Little Debbie portrait was created in 1960, the same year as the original line art version. It was introduced on packaging later in the year. Pearl Mann's illustrations were very popular in the 1950s and 1960s, but none of her best-known works are as recognizable and enduring as the Little Debbie portrait. Although the portrait has been modified slightly through the years, it endures to this day and is seen by millions of shoppers and snackers daily!
1962
FULL COLOR CARTONS
By 1962 several different varieties of Little Debbie snacks were available with full color cartons that showed off delicious pictures of the snacks!
SWISS CAKE ROLLS
O.D. McKee took a trip to a European trade show looking for “the next big thing.” The cake, a miniaturized version of a popular dessert called “roulade”, was being crafted by several bakeries he toured. Once back in Tennessee, he started production on two lines and the Swiss Rolls were added to the Little Debbie line up a year later.
