In 1928, the Fremont Canning Company was looking for a face to represent its new baby food campaign. Owner Frank Gerber decided to sponsor a nationwide competition to find the face that would appear on the new packaging. Paintings and drawings were submitted from all over the country. The entries included everything from intricate oil paintings to simple sketches.
Dorothy Hope Smith’s unfinished charcoal sketch was among the entries. She had offered to finish the sketch if it was chosen. The judges fell in love with the five month old Ann Turner in her submission. The drawing of her tousled hair, bright eyes and round lips was the winner. The judges did not even want Smith to finish the drawing. Smith received three hundred dollars in prize money.
Freemont Canning Company immediately began using the Gerber Baby symbol on the new baby food. The first advertisement was in Good Housekeeping. The first campaign using the symbol stressed the nutritional value as well as the time saving and economical reasons for purchasing the jarred food.
The symbol quickly gained national recognition as the baby food was distributed throughout the United States. The sketch was so well received that it became the official trademark of the Gerber Baby food in 1931. The Gerber Baby trademark has appeared in all advertising and packaging since its debut. Ann Turner, now a retired English teacher, is the world’s most recognized baby because of the Gerber Baby Symbol. Her smiling baby face is said to personify the company’s commitment to a happy healthy baby.