This Is What Your Favorite Snack Brands Used to Look Like
Updated: Jan. 06, 2023
Take a trip down memory lane ... and then a trip to the pantry.
Pringles
Opening a can of Pringles with a metal tab like in 1975 is about as old-school as it comes. The chips were actually a flop when first introduced in the late ’60s, using their innovative, crushing-resistant shape and packaging as a selling tool. After tweaking the recipe in 1980, though, they became a success. Their caps have switched to plastic, but their not-so-newfangled saddle shape never gets old. You won’t be able to unsee these 36 secret messages in logos you see all the time.
Twinkies
Those spongy, cream-filled cakes are an American icon, but when Hostess went bankrupt it seemed to be the end of an era. Not for long though! In “the sweetest comeback in the history of ever,” the sugary snack food is back in action—though good luck trying to find ten for 59 cents ever again.
Oatmeal Creme Pies
These soft sandwich cookies were the first Little Debbie snack to hit the market back in 1960. Founder O.D. McKee named the brand after his four-year-old granddaughter, but Debbie’s parents had no idea she’d be the face of the brand until the first packages had already been printed. Little did they know that almost 60 years later, she’d still be shining that winning smile on grocery store shelves. These 50 things food manufacturers won’t tell you might change the way you eat.
Swiss Cake Rolls
The face of Little Debbie still has that old-school charm, and she’s barely changed—much less aged—since these 1960s packages were made. We can only guess what the “exciting premium offer” on the back of the box is, but if it’s anything like a box of snack cakes for 49 cents, we’re sold.
Nutty Buddy
The packaging isn’t the only thing that changed here—a couple years ago, the company changed the name for its Nutty Bars, which had been around since 1964, to Nutty Buddy. Call it what you want, this classic PB-chocolate combo will always taste like nostalgia.
Ben & Jerry’s
If you want to get technical, the original Ben & Jerry’s ice cream didn’t even come in pints—it all started with a scoop shop. In 1980, the company started packing its treat into pints, forever changing the way sweet teeth get over a hard day.
Doritos
Doritos have been around since 1966, but the chips were either plain or taco-seasoned until 1974, when the now-classic Nacho Cheese made its debut. Through the years and the redesigns, other varieties have included Late Night All Nighter Hamburger and fruity Quest (Mountain Dew-flavored). But no matter how many flavor innovations Frito-Lay can come up with, we’ll keep coming back to Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch.
Oreos
Milk’s favorite cookie hit America in 1912, and it hasn’t looked back since. Despite all the new crème flavors, chocolate coatings, and mini sizes, there’s really nothing like that original chocolate sandwich cookie. In the 1980s, they came in boxes instead of plastic packages, but those sleeves of cookies were just as irresistible. This is what 14 everyday objects looked like 100 years ago.
Pirate’s Booty
True fans of the puffed rice and corn snacks might remember when they were sold under Robert’s American Gourmet Food before re-branding to Pirate Brands based on its bestseller, Pirate’s Booty, then sold to B&G Foods. You might not find herbs like ginkgo biloba and St. John’s wort in these snacks anymore, but there’s still plenty of white cheddar and veggie to go around.
Cheez-Its
When Cheez-Its were in their earliest years in 1922, the cheesy snacks were marketed as “a baked rarebit”—a real sign of the times. Now their packaging is an eye-catching red, but we still stand by the fact that they’re “crackin’ good.” One box of white cheddar, please! Find out why so many company logos are red.
Pop-Tarts
The original 1964 Pop-Tarts weren’t frosted, and they only came in four flavors—brown sugar-cinnamon, strawberry, blueberry, and apple—but they were cut diagonally, just like your PB&Js used to be. All but unfrosted apple are still around, but ever since frosted Pop-Tarts came out in the late ‘60s, we really can’t complain. There’s really no treat quite like Strawberry Milkshake or Cookies & Crème straight out of the toaster. (Or straight out of the package. Sometimes we just can’t wait.)
Nutri-Grain Bars
Nutri-Grain might be marketed as a breakfast bar, but we like ripping one open during the mid-day slump. Back in 1991, you could only find raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, and apple on the shelves, but now you can add mixed berry and cherry to the list too—not to mention three Nutri-Grain crumb cakes.
