While traveling through Blue Earth, Minnesota, I found myself in the valley of everyone's favorite advertising giant, the Jolly Green Giant. The town of Blue Earth erected this 55-foot statue in 1978 at the meeting point of the East I-90 and West I-90 freeways, the longest running interstate highway in the US. Blue Earth has a Green Giant canning plant that still packages peas and corn every summer. The Minnesota Valley Canning Company was founded in the Valley around Blue Earth in 1903. In 1925 the "Green Giant" slogan was first used to promote a type of pea, the "Green Giant Great Big Tender Peas." In 1928 they introduced the Jolly Green Giant as their advertising icon, and in 1950 the Company was officially renamed Green Giant. The Giant is now the third most recognized advertising icon, just behind the Marlboro man and Ronald McDonald (For the complete list follow this link).
The Giant's first appearances were scary... let's face it, he's a creepy looking figure, not unlike a vegan version of the Incredible Hulk. The advertisers finally learned to use him sparingly, especially in television commercials. The "Ho-ho-ho" signature and the appearance of Little Sprout helped make him more approachable. Please click on the advertisement on the right to see how creepy he could be...The valley around Blue Earth is appreciative of the Giant's effects on their local economy, especially the nearby town of Le Sueur, where the Minnesota Valley Canning Company began. They have a large billboard that comes up at you in the middle of nowhere. According to reports it has startled drivers along the highway.
The top photo is me standing with the Giant. There are entirely too many jokes to be made, and since I try to keep this a family-friendly blog, I am not going to make any of them. Make your own jokes in private. I'm sure the Giant would respond: "Ho Ho Ho..."
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