Character of the Week: The PEZ Girl

The PEZ Girl

As a child growing up in the 1980s, I remember PEZ candy for the dispensers it came in.  Although the flavor of the candies ranged from cherry to sour pineapple, the range of different types of PEZ dispensers was even larger.  There were hundreds of models, and not only did they dispense the candy, they could be collected.  I thought PEZ was a candy marketed for children and people who loved to collect the dispensers.  In actuality, PEZ started out as a candy marketed to adults, specifically smokers.

PEZ was created by Edward Haas in 1927 in Vienna, Austria.  At that time, there was no such thing as a peppermint candy.  Oil of peppermint was sold by chemists, and Haas used this oil to create a new candy with a peppermint flavor.  The name PEZ comes from the German word for peppermint, PfeffErminZ. Haas Food Manufacturing Corporation of Vienna, Austria, was the first to sell PEZ candies.

To market the new compressed peppermint candies, PEZ concentrated on the adult population.  Print ads and signs were used, and the advertising featured the lovely PEZ girls. Created by artists such as Manasee, the girls used subtle hints of sexuality such as large eyes, a warm smile, and a welcoming attitude to sell the candies.

PEZ candies were first sold in tin containers, and were marketed as luxury candies that freshened the breath.  In the late 1940s, PEZ first came out with pocket-sized dispenser to carry the candies conveniently.  It was a sexier way to carry and eat the candy, and resembled the size and shape of a cigarette lighter.  In this way, PEZ was marketed as an alternative to smoking, and as a way to freshen one’s breath, all the while looking smooth and sophisticated.

In the 1950’s post-war atmosphere, pin-up girls enjoyed a new interest in their marketing skills, and sexy ads for all different products began to appear.  PEZ was no exception.  The PEZ girl lost her dowdy gray jacket and replaced it with a royal blue one, and the ads became more sexual.

A new graphic artist named Gerhard Brause was hired to redesign the PEZ girl to fit modern times and ideals.  Some say his ads were the reason PEZ became so successful.  Very bright colors were used, and the women always had a large smile on their faces.  Featured in the ads were the endowments of the women as well as the candies.  Chests were accentuated, but in all but one of the ads, their legs were not shown.  There was only one ad showing the entire PEZ girl, but it was considered too sexy even for PEZ standards.  From then on, the PEZ girl was shown only from the waist up.

In 1952, PEZ broadened their market to include the U.S.  Although the PEZ girls were used to advertise in America, the focus group changed to include children.  PEZ began manufacturing dispensers with character heads in 1955, which appealed to children and collectors.

In the 1960s, PEZ still used print art and ads to market their candies, and the PEZ girl got a makeover.  She had a mod look, complete with a new hairdo and eyes that were made up in the style of the times.  Some say she resembled Jackie Kennedy.

In the 1970s, painted print ads were not as popular as they used to be, and PEZ began using photographic ads to sell their candies.  The “girl next door” look was everywhere, and the PEZ girl was no exception.  She had the glow of the 1950’s pin-up girl, with the youthful appearance of a high school cheerleader.  Her hair was windblown, her smile was infectious, and she radiated health and vitality.

It was in the late 1970s and early 1980s that PEZ began to concentrate on marketing the dispensers.  Since the 1950s, hundreds of characters have appeared on the PEZ dispensers.  They became a hot commodity to collect and trade, and they still are today.

Although PEZ is most famous for its dispensers and the PEZ girl is no longer the focus of the marketing campaigns, she is a part of advertising history, and will remain a part of pop culture forever.

Check out our website for PEZ memorabilia.  We have PEZ advertising signs, including one featuring a 1950s PEZ girl.  We also have a collectible selection of PEZ dispensers and merchandise, so start your collection today!