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July 18, 2016

Adventures in Vintage Advertising: Sealtest Ice Cream


 Hands down one of my favourite reoccurring post series on this blog is Adventures in Vintage Advertising. For those who may be newer followers here and thus not familiar with these posts, they’re a detailed, image filled look at the history of a given product (for example, toothpaste) or one or more specific offerings (such as Heinz Ketchup) from a particular brand.

Today, on this balmy, immensely beautiful mid-July morning - with temps set to climb near triple digits again - it seemed like an ideal time to whip up another edition of this fun post series.

Given the sky high temps and the fact that no other time of the year is so heavily associated with this classic dessert, I thought we'd take a peak at the history of a well known North American brand of ice cream that was especially popular during the 1950s - 1980s: those offerings from Sealtest Dairy.



{The St. Louis Dairy Building on the corner of Chestnut St & 20th St in St. Louis, Missouri, c. 1970s.}


Though Sealtest made, and still produces, a wide range of dairy goods (from cottage cheese to milk to butter), they are perhaps best known for their scrumptious varieties of ice cream and vibrant, wonderfully inviting ads that they produced during the mid-twentieth century to help promote these sweet treats.

While not an epic amount is to be found online about the history of Sealtest Dairy, I was able to discover a bit more than I knew before I sat down to pen this post. The brand appears to have been founded during the early decades of the 20th century and was able to successfully weather the years of the Great Depression to come out stronger than every before.



{The large staff of the Detroit, Michigan Sealtest Dairy plant, 1934.}


 
Sealtest Dairy was a division of the larger National Dairy Products Corporation (which itself was a predecessor for the now epicly huge Kraft Foods, Inc). As mentioned above, the brand sold a variety of products to US consumers in its early days, including ice cream, lemonade, and milk.

Interestingly, many of Sealtest's offerings were also available in Canada, where they were distributed by a few different companies. These days, Sealtest's products are licensed in this country by Agropur and are still readily available in many parts of the Canada (particularly in Ontario).


Founded by Mr. Vernon F. Hovey (isn't that a great vintage name?), the Sealtest Dairy Company was later taken over, after his passing, by his two sons, who operated out of New York. It was later sold to Kraft and then, in 1993, to another huge company, Unilever (who also own Breyers Ice cream).



{A late 1940s ad for Rich Toys brand dairy trucks that featured the nationally known Sealtest Dairy logo on one of their vehicles.}


Back during its heyday, Sealtest had dairy plants peppered across the Midwestern and Northeastern areas of the United States, with some of the largest areas of operations being found in cites such as Cleveland, Milwaukee, Rockford, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Huntington, as well as a Mid-South plant located in Nashville, Tennessee.

For many in the mid-twentieth century, Sealtest was a household name and the brand enjoyed a good deal of success - so much so, in fact, that they even had a branded ice cream parlour located at Disney World.




In addition, the company had a sponsored pavilion located at the 1939 Flushing World Fair (pictured above), as well various national network broadcasts including, in the 1950s, the Sealtest Big Top Show (which featured none other than Ed McMahon).

Though I do know that I've had various Sealtest dairy products over the years, including their milk and whipped cream, I don't actually have distinct memories of consuming their scrumptious ice cream, though it's certainly possible that I may have.

I know that many of my readers on both side of the 49th will have such memories though and that in general, vintage fans the world over will appreciate and enjoy the peppy colours, fun copy, and lip-lickingly delicious photos depicted in the following assortment of yesteryear Sealtest Ice Cream ads.




This ad, from 1936 for the timeless favourite flavour that is vanilla, was one of the earliest I was able to track down online for Sealtest Ice Cream. It suggests pairing their offering with citrus fruit, which is still a great way to enjoy vanilla flavoured ice cream to this day!




The space race was just in its infancy when Sealtest created an add with the tagline of "out of this world" for their creamy strawberry ice cream, but if they were tapping in such (the copy points towards a "heavenly" connection, not a man-on-the-moon sort of one, but still), one can certainly appreciate the foreword thinking-ness of their marketing department.




Well before brands like Haagen Dazs (founded in 1961) and Ben & Jerry's (1978) hit the frozen dessert aisle scene, Sealtest was busy at work dreaming up some delightfully fun, and often very creative, ice cream flavours. One such example of their inventive thinking can be seen in this ad for Sealtest's Berry Patch ice cream, which included three different flavours - strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry, respectfully - of ice cream combined Neapolitan style in the same carton (an idea, as we'll see again in this post, that Sealtest was very fond of doing - much, I'm sure, to the delight of many customers).




Sealtest billed itself as "America's Favorite Ice Cream", as this adorable mid-century ad for their classic vanilla variety demonstrates. Given the immense popularity for Sealtest's products, such may very well have been a valid claim!




With its charmingly spelled name and thoroughly mouth watering sounding flavour, I bet that Pecan Crunch was a well received favourite with consumers back in the day (you just know it would have been incredible as the base for a chocolate syrup or hot fudge sundae!).




Sealtest excelled at offering both unique (especially at the time) flavours and more classic standbys. I'd venture to guess that Devil Mint - a chocolate (possibly Devil’s Food Cake) mint ice cream - fell somewhere in the middle at that point in time (and no doubt the name raised its faire share of eyebrows!).




A whole month's worth of different sundae varieties, all featuring Sealtest's ice cream (natch!), star in this lovely two page colour photo ad from 1953.




You just know that it was a major lightbulb moment for someone at Sealtest when they dreamed up this flavour. Turn the hugely beloved treat that is a banana split into an ice cream flavour? So many yeses!!!




As time went on, Sealtest branched out and began offering an assortment of frozen ice cream treats, such as bars, cones and sandwiches, as pictured in this hues-of-the-era filled ad from 1967.




Yes, I'm certain that I would have. Cherry ice cream is one of my favourite varieties ever and given the array of different ads for various cherry flavours that I found from Sealtest, such as this lovely example for Cherry Vanilla, it was clearly well received by other fans back in the day!




It's orange! It's tangerine! It's both and its wonderful! Of that I have zero doubts. Yum, yum and yum again!!!




Like many brands of the era, Sealtest targeted the growing youth demographic that was comprised of the baby boomers by offering fun promotional giveaways and prizes, such as the cute circus animal themed buttons shown here in this c. 1950s ad (I found one of these very buttons for sale on Etsy here, and would imagine that they surface there, on eBay, and elsewhere fairly regularly).




A colonial era inspired cross stitch serves as the lovely background for Sealtest's Blueberry Royale Ice cream in this ad from 1957 (then as now, ripple style ice creams were popular flavours with frozen dessert consumers).




As touched on above, cherry varieties were some of the Sealtest's best sellers and were hugely adored by the ice cream eating public back in the day. This c. 1960s ad highlights two wonderfully tasty sounding offerings: Cherry and Vanilla Checkerboard, and Cherry Nugget (which included almonds). Another such variety from Sealtest, which isn't pictured here, was Cherry Pineapple.




Taste the lemon twice! Proclaims the text in this eye-catching ad from 1957 for Sealtest's thoroughly appealing looking Lemon Drop flavour of sherbet.




Catering, at least in part, to a more upscale demographic of frozen dessert buyers in the 1960s (based on the earliest ads for such that I've come across so far), Sealtest launched their Prestige line of French Ice creams. They were, as one might imagine, accompanied by ritzy looking ads like this one that sees a dish of ice cream served up on a slab of marble (while a silver ice bucket keeps the rest of the tub perfectly chilled).




Sealtest was huge on offering what they delightfully called "Checkerboard" varieties of ice cream, which saw the marriage of at least two different complimentary flavours in the same carton (this particular ad highlights their tiki party perfect pairing of pineapple ice cream and orange sherbet).




Fabulously patriotic and wonderfully well suited to the 4th of July, Sealtest's Red, White and Blueberry variety was sure to have been a hit with festive costumers back in the day.




As an epic lover of candy apples (I even have a Pinterest board devoted to them!), no other Sealtest flavour highlighted in today's post appeals to me more than this splendidly original Candied Apple Ice Cream.




Over the years Sealtest offered customers the chance, on multiple occasions, to win a year's worth of free ice cream for either dreaming up flavours or naming existing ones (the blog My Pretty Baby Cried She Was a Bird has a great post from 2014 that even shares photos of one of the winning families of these Sealtest promotional contests), as this ad invites folks to try their hand at.




Like many brands (food and otherwise) over the years, Sealtest produced holiday themed ads - such as this crimson hued one for Strawberry Macaroon Ice Cream from 1957 - and *possibly* (I can't say for certain one way or the other based on my research for this post) seasonal varieties of their products, too.




A super cute Polynesian dancer and a great tagline "The flavour you'd most like to be marooned with" call this darling 1950s ad for Sealtest's Coconut Fudge Ice Cream home.




Peach is a fabulously classic ice cream flavour that we don't (at least where I live) see near enough of these days. One can only imagine how rich, creamy and flavourful Sealtest's version was (at one point the brand also produced an equally appealing sounding Peach Melba variety of ice cream).




Kitschy ad and a pun filled name telegraph serious fun, even if this flavour is one that might not have been everyone's favourite (personally I love both dates and nuts and bet I would have really enjoyed this variety of ice cream).



No doubt the generously sized colour photos of their rich, scrumptious ice cream that appeared in most of Sealtest’s ads - including this late 1950s one for Black Raspberry - helped to sell their products big time!




Tapping into food crazes of the era is always a great way to help boost sales, which is precisely what Sealtest was doing when they added the word chiffon (as in cake) to their buttercup hued Pineapple Lemon Ice Cream flavour back in 1959.




In part, I'm sure, because they knew that they were targeting children and their parents, Sealtest excelled at producing adorable ads for their delicious frozen treats, such as this c. late 1950s/1960s example for their rocky road-esque Chocolate Marshmallow variety.


{To learn more about a specific image used in today's post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}


♥ ♥ ♥



Despite the fact that such would seem like a natural business move, I did not find information to indicate that Sealtest ever had ice cream trucks (just milk and similar dairy product delivery vehicles).

Instead this beloved summertime dessert staple was sold to consumers (like the mom and her two children pictured in the mid-1950s ad below) through their local supermarkets and small grocers shops across Canada and America.





It does appear, however, that Sealtest’s name was used in conjunction with the packaging on ice cream and milkshake products offered by various diners, soda fountains, fast food and other types of restaurants during the mid to late twentieth century (with Sealtest branded glassware and other similar items from such eateries surfacing periodically on the vintage market these days). As the ad below, for three soda fountain exclusive frozen treats, demonstrates.





I ran into conflicting accounts as to if any of Sealtest offerings are still available in the United States or not. They definitely are in Canada, but it seemed like I just found a lot of news stories online discussing the fact that Sealtest milk was discontinued several years ago now throughout most (or possibly all) of America.

So, my dear US readers, my question to you then is, can you still find Sealtest ice cream or any of this brand's other offerings where you live or has this once iconic brand gone the way of the dinosaur in your fine country?

I'm pulling for Sealtest to still be available there, even if the brand no longer puts out the sorts of appealing, vividly hued (and often downright cute) ads that they once did.

No matter what, we can all delight in these fun vintage ice cream adverts, which are very apt to have you running for the nearest carton, pail or tub of your own favourite modern ice cream faster than you can say 100 degrees Fahrenheit! :)

78 comments:

  1. What a fantastic post to wake up to!! Absolutely brilliant display of Sealtest history and flavors that were offered. In fact, just last night I watched American Pickers and I saw a Sealtest sign. I immediately thought of growing up with Sealtest ice cream. It was sooo good! Now I see this wonderful post! How neat is that?? Thank you for the fond memories of a simpler time back in my home state of CT. I will be rereading this often! Aren't the flavors in the ads divine?? YUM.

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    1. What a cool coincidence! I love it when that happens (you see/hear/think about something that might be fairly obscure and then encounter it again in the very near future).

      They really do sound amazing! Sure, we have tons of lovely and creative flavours on the market today, but honestly, a lot of these appeal to me more than some late 20th and now 21st century offerings. If only we could still pop down to the local supermarket and stock up on any of these that we wanted (yum!).

      Big hugs & many thanks for your fantastic comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. I remember eating Sealtest when I was a kid! I have not seen it on the shelves over here in years. This takes me back.

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    1. That's a shame. Everything they make is so tasty. We still have some seal crest products out this way in BC, I believe, but I haven't seen any ice cream offerings from them in ages.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your lovely comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Hello Jessica! I'm back after a little trip and the heat this summer are always around me ... What could be better than a break and a bit 'of ice cream? As for now I can not eat ice cream I console myself with this your post: thanks my dear!
    They are really nice and full of creative ideas vintage advertisements, I also find it funny the language change through the years .. I think my favorite is cherry vanilla! But also the refreshing lemon ...

    a pleasant July for yourself

    serena

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    1. Hi sweet Serena, thank you very much for your lovely comment. I'm very sorry that you're not able to eat ice cream at the moment. Are non-dairy versions a possibility for you? There's really been some major leaps and strides made in the dairy-free ice cream world in recent years. I really enjoy, for example, both coconut and rice milk based ones. Almond milk ice cream can be wonderful, too. Hopefully there's a frozen treat or two that you can still enjoy (I know all too well what it's like to not be able to eat foods that you adore).

      Many hugs & happy mid-July wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. It is one of my favourite series too. I just love vintage advertising! And I learned something too, as I'd never heard of Sealtest ice cream. Many hugs, Ann xxx

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Ann. If there's ever a brand and/or type of product that you'd be keen to see featured in this series (those for which a decent amount of ads are available online tend to work best, but that isn't a strict necessity in the slightest), please don't hesitate to let me know. I greatly enjoy penning these posts and always learn more about a brand/product in the process myself, too.

      Oodles of hugs coming right back at you,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. Such a totally fascinating post and you did so much great research. I love vintage adverts too

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    1. That really means a lot to me, Kate, thank you so much. Posts like this do usually take several days to research, write and find images for, but I sincerely enjoy the process and always love penning a new edition of Adventures in Vintage Advertising.

      Many hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. Beautiful post! I never heard of this brand before :-)
    And those Pictures... wow! they make me hungry :-p

    Eva (from Luxembourg/Germany)

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    1. Same here! There isn't a single flavour of ice cream shown in these ads that doesn't appeal to me (especially the various cherry offerings).

      How fun that I could introduce you this classic North American brand. :)

      Many hugs coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. I can't recall ever eating Sealtest, though I certainly wouldn't have been paying attention to brand names when I was a kid. Those are some marvellous vintage advertisements. Vintage ads are so fun, particularly when they're for something as fantastic as ice-cream.

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    1. They really are! From the colours to the copy to the sense of whimsy that filled many, I really think that mid-twentieth century ads were, generally speaking, the best of all time.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your lovely comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Hi, dear Jessica! My blog and computer are finally on again, so here I am! I love the series of vintage ads, this one - Sealtest ice cream - is just adorable! Ice creams are always so delicious :) And incredible, I love the name Vernon - and yes, such a lovely vintage name :) I was writing an essay about ads - and how in the past they were more informative, and now so different, like - if you don't eat/buy/dress/drive/etc this, you won't be happy! These ads show the difference from today. I much prefer ads in the past! Hope you have a lovely week! Hugs and regards!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. That's awesome news, dear Denise. It's always a pleasure to hear from you here and to spot new posts on your dynamic blog.

      Their ads really were adorable, I completely agree - as were the names of their flavours. We need more lighthearted whimsy like that in the advertising (and food naming) industry these days.

      Thank you very much for your great comment. I hope that you're having a sunny, enjoyable July.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  9. I love this feature because I'm a sucker for vintage ad campaigns, particularly food and liquor-themed ads. I wouldn't know what Sealtest dairy was if you asked me, but after looking through these images, the branding is definitely familiar. I've found that Pinterest is a treasure trove of these images. I was planning a 50s themed holiday party this past year, and it was a great resource for these old ads. They have such charm, don't you think? I didn't live through this era, of course, but I still get sentimental and nostalgic about it.

    <3 Liz
    www.withwonderandwhimsy.com

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    1. Yes, absolutely - there's truly something about vintage related food ads, as well as cookbooks, that appeals to me on so many levels. I'll readily admit to having daydreamed about what it would be like to go back and grocery shop in the 1950s on multiple occasions. Not possible, sadly, but thankfully vintage ads and photos (of supermarkets and the like) can get us a bit closer to experiencing what the might have been like.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your terrific comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Oh yum! Lucky you, dear Jessica, that you can still find this ice cream in Canada. I have never seen it here. I just love all these delicious looking vintage ads. They bring back so many fun memories of my childhood and all the summer ice cream we ate as children. I would love to have some of that pineapple lemon ice cream right now :)

    ♥Hope

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    1. That really does sound delightfully refreshing - all of these flavours to do, IMO, and there isn't a single one I wouldn't happily try (though the various cherry flavours call my name most of all).

      I'm delighted to know that this post was a fun trip down memory lane for you, dear Hope. Thank you so much for your great comment on it - and for all those you've sweetly bestowed on my blog recently.

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. Whenever I see posts like these, I think of how in previous times there was a sense of pride in the products you made, in the company you worked for, what it stood for. I can sense that in the company staff picture.
    I can usually not stop thinking that these products tasted like heaven. I am pretty sure everything tasted better... Can you imagine going back in time and opening a 1960's fridge ??!!!

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    1. That would be soooo much! Both of my grandmas, as well as my mom, still made a lot of awesome 40s - 70s recipes when I was growing up, so while the same thing, that did give me an inkling of what such would have been like (and I still make plenty of vintage dishes myself nowadays, too).

      I completely agree with your assessment and wish that there was more of that sort mindset and work ethic to be had still these days.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. Now I want Ice Cream and lots of it (especially since it's super hot today in Toronto). Simply fantastic post and the advertising images are so cool. Thanks for sharing this little of history (which was new to me!).

    Liz :)

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    1. I'll happily join you for a heaping dish of ice cream, too. Were it a, how shall we say, healthier food, I would gleefully live off of it all summer long. As it is, I still indulge periodically and made sure to include some (Neapolitan, to be exact) in my birthday spread earlier this month.

      Big hugs & happy ice cream season wishes! :)
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. What a cool set of ads! I'm having a hard time not running to get some ice cream right this second!

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    1. Wait up, I'll join you! :) Ice cream is always more fun when eaten in the company of friends, I feel, and do so wish we lived nearby and get together for a cone or two together.

      Sending lots of hugs & sunny mid-summer wishes your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. Mmm, ice cream! These ads are fantastic. Candied Apple sounds delicious :)

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    1. Doesn't it though? I'm going to look for a recipe for candied apple ice cream online and try to give it a spin this fall. I think it would be an awesome treat for those "in between days" when summer is transitioning into autumn and then, definitely, for Halloween itself.

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment. Have a terrific week!
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. I just LOVE how ads and signs looked back then! They seem like real art. Most advertisements nowadays are pretty obnoxious in my opinion. I don't think I have ever seen this brand anywhere.. But I will keep an eye out for it now!

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    1. I second your feelings completely. Sure, there were some cringe worthy ads back in the day (typically those involving misogyny and/or racism), but over all they really were an unparalleled art form and a very, very far cry from today's super "in your face" world of advertising, which is often lacking in charm and whimsy.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your lovely comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Oh how fun! I just love vintage ads as well as clever current ads. In fact, I probably should have gone into advertising. Oh well. This is such a lovely and well curated post, Jessica. Nicely done.

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    1. Hand on my heart, I've said that as well! While I can be quite shy when it comes to promoting/advertising my own endeavors, I adore coming up with ideas for ads and advertising in general. Marketing, as a whole, really appeals to me. How fun would it be if you and I opened our own advertising firm? :D

      Thank you very much, sweet Connie. I hope that you're doing well and having a sunny, terrific July.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  17. Yum! I always love looking at vintage advertisements- and these are seriously making me hungry. As I scrolled down the page, that craving grew and grew. . . what an amazing range of flavours. I couldn't choose a favourite even if I tried!
    The Artyologist

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    1. It would be tricky for sure, if one was presented with all of them at the same time. For me personally, the cherry varieties and the fun candy apple option are calling my name the very most, but I'd happily give any of them a spin.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your fun comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. ok - i want ice cream - NOW! :-)))
    this are a lot of pretty ideas for advertising! so much creativity! thank you for the gorgeous gallery!
    kisses! <3 <3 <3

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    1. Same here! Why, oh why, isn't ice cream the healthiest food on the planet? :D Honestly, it's one of my favourite desserts ever and one that I happily admit to indulging in periodically throughout the year, not just during the summer. It's a happy, satisfying food and one with endless possibilities on the flavour front.

      Big hugs & sweet-as-ice cream summer wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. There are so many good flavours here! The ads are very cute to look at, but they are also really working on me. I wish I could get some berry patch :)

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    1. I bet it would be fantastic! We have a well known frozen dessert brand here in Canada called Champan's who make a (thankfully GF) triple berry sorbet which, I like to think, tastes somewhat similar to that variety of ice cream.

      Have an awesome week, dear Tanith.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  20. Fantastic ads! And they still work, I'm off to get icecream immedietly!

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    1. Your comment made me beam, honey. Thank you very much! If you're grabbing ice cream, could you please get me something with cherries? :) It's all I'm craving this week after seeing the varieties starring such in these fun mid-century ads.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  21. Love these ads, Jessica! The colors and style are reminiscent of walking into a Midcentury living room. They make me think of watching The Flintstones or the Jetsons on TV. I grew up in Canada and this brand seems familiar as something we used to buy in the grocery store. Not considered gourmet but still a delicious treat. Haven't seen it in the US lately but it could well still exist.

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    1. Hi Janet, thank you very much for your absolutely lovely comment and for sharing that you have memories of seeing this brand in stores here in Canada when you were growing up. We can still find some Sealtest offerings around these British Columbia parts, but I haven't seen their ice cream in ages (more like milk and sour cream these days). Based on what I encountered about the brand's current product line during the course of researching this post, it looks like they may no longer sell ice cream anywhere (such a shame!).

      Big hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. Oh my god, these are amazing! Every time I got to one ad I'd think 'yes, that's going to be my favourite flavour', then it was on to the next and I'd think exactly the same. I'd definitely love the Berry Patch one but oh, Strawberry Macaroon sounds incredible! I could really do with some right now as we're experiencing our hottest day in a very long time, 33 degrees. It never gets this hot here! xx

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    1. I feel the same way, too, about this bevy of creative, appealing flavours (though the cherry and candy apple ones are really calling my name). Both of the ones you mentioned would be ideal for July and would definitely go down a treat when the mercury climbs like that. I know that the UK has been getting a lot of rain so far this summer, too, and am happy to hear that you're experiencing some warmer temps at long last.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your lovely comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. Such a gorgeous blog post, thank you so much for sharing. I really want ice cream now. ;-)

    Many hugs
    Sandra <3

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    1. My pleasure, sweet Sandra. Goodness, do I ever as well! :) In particular, I can't stop craving cherry ice cream after seeing all the wonderful varieties that Sealtest produced back in the day.

      Scores of hugs coming right back at you,
      ♥ Jessica

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  24. Excuse me while I go and eat two tubs of ice-cream... man I have a hankering now!! These flavours all sound amazing. I'm a sucker for anything banana or chocolate, but have never been known to turn any flavour of ice-cream down to be fair. Such cute ads too - perfect reading for our hot and sunny weather over here right now, as Cate mentions xx

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    1. :D You and me both, sweet dear. Ice cream is right up there on the list of my all-time favourite desserts and is something I could happily live off of, if only it was world's healthier. That's neat! Tony really like banana flavoured ice creams and gelatos, too.

      Enjoy the sunshine and please don't hesitate to ship some over here if you find yourself with an excess. We're still getting rain (complete with a big thunderstorm again) here more days than not.

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  25. Augh, I love ice cream and I've never even heard of half those flavours before. I would eat any and all of them! Coconut fudge or peacheroo would be my faves.

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    1. Peacheroo really caught my eye as well. We don't see near enough peach flavoured ice creams, sorbets, gelatos, etc these days. It's surprising, too, as peach is such a quintessential summertime food, much like ice cream itself.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  26. Oh, boy. Now I want some ice cream! Too bad you can't just start sampling from the ads. :)

    Sarah
    www.sewcharacteristicallyyou.com/blog

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    1. How incredible would that be? Could you imagine if, somehow, technology actually reached that point one day. It seems like something out of Star Trek. :)

      Big hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  27. Lemon Drop, Checkerboard and Devil Mint? I love the cute names! I also love scouring around for graphic design from this era, so thanks for the share, Jessica. :)

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    1. You're very welcome, sweet lady. I had a marvelous time putting this post together and am really happy to know that you enjoyed it. Sealtest really knocked it out of the ballpark with their ads - and product names - back in the day.

      Have a beautiful week!

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  28. I hadn't heard of this brand other than seeing the occasional vintage ads for it, but some of the flavors they had sound like they would have been splendid and I love the look of the checkerboard! It was interesting getting to find out a little more about it!

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    1. Aren't they delightful? I really like the checkerboard ice creams as well. We have a brand called Chapman's here in Canada that still makes a small number of varieties in that style. They also have a red and white one with a maple leaf shape in it - the ultimate in Canada Day desserts. :)

      Oodles of hugs & happy Thursday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  29. Yummmmmmmy, ice-cream! I love old advertisements and ice-cream so I really enjoyed this post hehe x

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    1. Ice cream is the best! Honestly, if it was healthier (or I had an epicly better metabolism, lol), I could happily eat it every day of the year.

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment, my dear. I hope you're having a great July.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  30. Oh Jessica, I'm salivating! Thanks for all those fabulous ads from way back when - and the toothpastes! (I remember Ipana toothpaste as a child, and my parents having toothpaste powder in a tin - in the 50's!). In the 50's and 60's ice-cream in Australia was pretty basic vanilla, strawberry and chocolate (for the best chocolate you had to go to Italian cafes for gelato -packaged, imported. Mum used to get "bricks" of it, either vanilla or "Neopolitan" and then these amazing ice-cream "cakes" came out in the late 60's. Now...sigh, so much to choose from. Thanks heaps for yet another interesting and colourful post. xx

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    1. It's really cool that gelato was already available in some places in Australia during the 50s and 60s. Objectively, I'm not certain when it first became available to the public in Canada, but I know that personally, I don't recall spotting it here in British Columbia until the 90s, and even then, I'd say it wasn't until the 2000s that it became considerably more widespread (I would guess though that certain large cities, especially those like Toronto and Montreal, that have always had thriving Italian communities, would have had ice cream shops with it prior to the 90s).

      You know, I seriously love Neapolitan ice cream to this day (in fact, I served it a couple of weeks ago along side my chocolate birthday cake). Getting three flavours in one is so much fun. :)

      Thank you very much for your terrific comment, dear Elizabeth. I hope that you're having a splendid week.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. I guess we had so many Italian migrants after the war. Lucky us!

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    3. I really think that could be it. Almost all of my Italian born husband's family lives in Italy, but he had an uncle who immigrated to Australia decades ago. I know it has one of the largest populations of Italians outside of Italy, which is really cool. :)

      Wishing you a splendid second half of the week,
      ♥ Jessica

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    1. My pleasure, Ron. Happy to know that you enjoyed this fun summertime post.

      Have a wonderful weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

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  32. All that ice cream looks so good! I've never heard of this brand but I love looking through these ads. The space ad is my favorite. :D

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    1. Didn't they just hit it out of the ballpark with their whimsical + cute + creative ads? They abounded with fun and would definitely have woven their magic on me, as a customer, back in the day (they still do now, but alas, sadly, Sealtest doesn't appear to sell ice cream any longer).

      Big hugs & many thanks for your super nice blog comments this week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  33. Wow this is so interesting!! I really enjoyed looking through this. I love vintage adverts so much, they always look so kitsch.

    Daisy x

    www.florencemayvintage.blogspot.co.uk

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  34. Same here! From the colours to the copy, the whimsy to the kitsch factor, there is so much to adore about vintage ads.

    Thank you very much for your lovely comment, sweet dear. I hope that you're having a terrific tail end of July.

    xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  35. What a blast from the past! We grew up enjoying Sealtest, especially those ice cream sandwiches. Wish my mom bought Devil Mint though!

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    1. That's awesome!!! I can definitely remember having some of their dairy products, such as sour cream, but am iffy when it comes to ice cream itself. It's possible that such was no longer sold in BC by the 80s/90s - if it ever had been. I'd love to find out (if it was) though and plan to keep researching this brand more in the future.

      Oodles of hugs & thanks for your marvelous comments today,
      ♥ Jessica

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  36. I don't know Sealtest, but I do know that I want an icecream now! :) I loved all the charming ads, and can you imagine a checkerboard icecream and Christmas icecream! Why don't they make such today? Have a lovely weekend,dear. :)

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  37. I have just eaten an ice cream, a pink magnum, so this was very fitting! Great adverts and some delicious sounding flavours. I would like some pecan crunch and the berry patch please.

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    1. Sooo yummy! The pink Magnum bar that we have in Canada is raspberry flavoured (and is so incredibly delicious). Is it the same flavour in the UK, too?

      I hope that you guys are doing well and enjoying a sunny August so far. Another major mixed bag - sun, rain, and a thunder - of weather here, but thankfully it was mostly sunny on Saturday for Tony's birthday.

      Lots of hugs & wishes for an August that's as sweet as ice cream,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. Yes, it is raspberry flavoured and it is my favourite magnum! Yummy! It is a mixed bag of weather here but we managed a lovely sunny walk in beautiful countryside which was fabulous today. An email will be on its way soon, just been catching up this last week after getting back from holiday and having post holiday blues too!

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    3. It's awesome that we have the same flavour for the pink version. I adore the raspberry one, too. I'd say it's either my favourite or that it ties with the peanut butter variety (do you guys have that one as well?) for top spot.

      That sounds really nice. It's interesting how similar our weather has been on both sides of the pond this summer.

      I fully understand. There is such a powerful sensation that hits one after most trips. I experience it just about every time we travel, even after short trips like our little getaway to the Kootenays last April. I hope that the post travel blues don't last too long for you, my dear friend.

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  38. We do have the peanut butter one, my friend loves it but I am just not a fan of peanuts so I can't go there! We get a really yummy mint one too, hope that you do! I think the post holiday blues are wearing off slowly thank you!

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    1. I get that for sure. If you aren't a fan of PB, then that is definitely not the right ice cream for you. :) I tend to have more of a salty/savoury tooth than a sweet one, so I love that you get that subtle hint of saltiness in the PB magnum.

      Huge squee about the mint version. That hasn't hopped the pond yet to us. I uber hope that it does! Tony and I also think that Magnum should put out more versions and two that we'd love to see happen are coconut (it would probably taste like a frozen Bounty chocolate bar) and orange (channeling a Jaffa Cake there :)). A mocha one could be awesome, too. What flavours do you think they should make?

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  39. When I was a kid I always thought it was called Patriotic Neapolitan but it was the Red, White & Blueberry. My parents would buy the week of July 4th and put it in the freeze until my birthday July 10th. I miss this ice cream...wish someone would bring it back for the 4th.

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