Keebler Company
| File:Keebler Logo.png | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | July 19, 1853 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Founder | Godfrey Keebler |
| Headquarters | Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S. |
Area served | Nationwide |
| Products | Cookies Crackers Ice cream cones |
| Parent | United Biscuits (1974–1995) Flowers Industries (1995–1998) Kellogg's (2001–2019) Ferrero SpA (2019–present) |
| Website | keebler |
The Keebler Company is a longstanding American producer of cookies and formerly crackers, established in 1853. Renowned for its baked snack products and the famous Keebler Elves advertising campaign, the brand portfolio has included Cheez-It, Chips Deluxe, Club Crackers, E.L. Fudge Cookies, Famous Amos, Murray, Austin, Plantation, Vienna Fingers, Town House Crackers, and Zesta Crackers. Advertising slogans such as "Uncommonly Good" and "a little elfin magic goes a long way" have been associated with the company, alongside a memorable jingle composed by Tom Shutter and Leo Burnett.
In 2019, Kellogg's divested the Keebler cookie segment along with the Keebler brand rights to Ferrero SpA, separating these from the cracker lines which remain under Kellogg's or Sunshine branding. This move aligned with Kellogg's strategic focus on core business sectors while allowing Ferrero to broaden its footprint in the U.S. snack industry.
Company history
Founded by Godfrey Keebler, who was of German heritage, the company began as a bakery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1853. Over subsequent decades, this bakery collaborated with various local and national bakeries, culminating in a 1927 merger that formed the United Biscuit Company of America.
United Biscuit managed multiple regional bakeries including Keebler itself, Hekman Biscuit Company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Strietmann Biscuit Company from Mariemont, Ohio, Merchants Biscuit Company located in Denver, and Bowman Biscuit Company also of Denver under the Supreme brand. By 1963, United Biscuit introduced the Kitchen Rich brand on a national scale while continuing to operate regional labels. In 1966, the company consolidated its branding under the Keebler name, establishing it as the dominant national identity. Additionally, Keebler adopted Streitmann’s Zesta saltine crackers as its principal saltine offering nationwide.
In 1936, Keebler-Weyl Bakery became the official commercial baker of Girl Scout Cookies, marking a key milestone as the first company to produce these cookies on a commercial basis. The division Little Brownie Bakers continues to hold licensing rights for Girl Scout Cookie production.
Keebler was acquired by United Biscuits—a British multinational headquartered in West Drayton, Middlesex—in 1974. During the 1980s, Keebler diversified into bagged salty snacks with product innovations such as Tato Skins, O'Boisies, and Pizzarias. In 1995, rather than spinning off its snack chip division as initially planned, United Biscuits sold Keebler to Flowers Industries and Artal Luxembourg, a private equity firm; Artal later divested through an initial public offering in 1998.
The company enhanced its market reach by purchasing Sunshine Biscuits in 1996 and obtaining a license in 2000 to produce Sesame Street branded snack items.
In March 2001, The Keebler Company became part of Kellogg Company’s portfolio and relocated its headquarters to Elmhurst, Illinois.
On April 1, 2019, Kellogg announced it would sell the Keebler cookie brands to Ferrero SpA for $1.3 billion. This transaction was part of Ferrero’s strategy to acquire underleveraged brands within larger food conglomerates. Kellogg retained ownership of other Keebler product lines such as crackers marketed under Kellogg’s or Sunshine brands. The sale was finalized on July 29, 2019.
Keebler Elves
The animated Keebler Elves, headed by "Ernest J. 'Ernie' Keebler," serve as distinctive mascots for the brand’s product lineup. These characters were developed in 1968 by the advertising firm Leo Burnett Worldwide and are depicted as working within "The Hollow Tree Factory," which is represented by the Keebler tree emblem.
In 1970, Ernie Keebler took over as head elf, following J.J. Keebler, who was introduced as the original "king elf" in 1969. Ernie is typically shown wearing a green jacket paired with a red vest and has been voiced by several actors over the years, including Parley Baer (1969–1997), Walker Edmiston (1997–2007), Frank Welker (2007–2009), and Richard Henzel from 2016 onward.
Additional elves featured in the campaign include Fryer Tuck, known for promoting "Munch-ems," Ernie’s nephews Zoot and J.J., linked to Pizzarias Pizza Chips, Ma Keebler, and other characters who fill various roles within the fictional bakery setting. Frank Welker has provided voices for multiple elf characters, while many advertisements were narrated by Danny Dark. The original elf artwork was produced by Roger Bradfield, a children’s author and commercial illustrator.
This imaginative branding approach has played a significant role in establishing the company’s presence and lasting consumer familiarity within the snack food market.
Selected products
Keebler offers a variety of cookies, snacks, and baking goods, including: