Tupperware
Tupperware is a brand of innovative plastic storage containers known for their airtight seals, which keep food fresher and reduce spills compared to traditional glass and crockery options. Developed by Earl Tupper in 1942 and introduced to the market in 1946, the products initially struggled to gain traction in retail. The turning point for Tupperware came with the introduction of the Tupperware Party concept, pioneered by Brownie Wise. Wise, a divorced mother from Detroit, successfully organized in-home demonstrations that transformed the brand's sales model. By 1951, Tupperware had shifted entirely to home sales, leading to significant growth and making Tupperware Parties a cultural phenomenon in postwar America. This approach not only boosted sales but also empowered countless women to earn income and develop skills outside their traditional roles. Today, Tupperware remains a leading direct seller, recognized in nearly one hundred markets worldwide.
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Tupperware
Identification Plastic food storage containers
Date First marketed in 1951
Earl Tupper’s innovative products helped to launch the plastics revolution of the 1950’s, but it was Brownie Wise’s direct sale marketing technique that made Tupperware one of the most recognized product names in the world.
Earl Tupper developed his innovative plastic products in 1942, but it was not until 1946 that his products were introduced to market. The plastic storage containers and legendary airtight seals provided benefits that traditional food containers did not offer. They kept food fresher, cut down on spills, and were less likely to break than traditional glass and crockery containers. However, the concept was new, and sales lagged in retail stores.
The company was transformed when Tupper met Brownie Wise, a middle-aged divorced mother from Detroit. Wise had accumulated impressive sales numbers selling Tupperware by convening groups of housewives for in-home demonstrations, which she called Tupperware Parties. Tupper was so impressed that in 1951 he pulled Tupperware from retail stores and made Brownie Wise vice president in charge of in-home sales. Under Wise’s leadership, sales skyrocketed, and Tupperware Parties became a staple of postwar America.
Impact
Tupperware provided far more than excellent storage containers for refrigerators across America. It enabled thousands of women to earn incomes and excel in something outside the home. Tupperware Parties became the gold standard for home selling, and many other large companies emulated the formula Wise perfected. By the early twenty-first century, Tupperware remained one of the world’s leading direct sellers, reaching nearly one hundred markets around the world.
Bibliography
Clarke, Alison J. Tupperware: The Promise of Plastic in 1950’s America. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1999. Explores the social history surrounding Tupperware’s rise to prominence in 1950’s America.
Vincent, Susan. “Preserving Domesticity: Reading Tupperware in Women’s Changing Domestic, Social, and Economic Roles.” The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology 40, no. 2 (2003): 171-196. Uses a variety of writings about Tupperware to explore domestic femininity.