1 00:00:01,917 --> 00:00:03,250 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:03,250 --> 00:00:04,375 - [Narrator] Birthday. 3 00:00:04,375 --> 00:00:06,125 Wedding. 4 00:00:06,125 --> 00:00:08,208 Graduation. 5 00:00:08,208 --> 00:00:11,292 Retirement, or simply a Sunday dinner, 6 00:00:11,292 --> 00:00:13,458 Americans seize any opportunity- 7 00:00:14,625 --> 00:00:19,625 [dramatic music] to add cake. 8 00:00:20,917 --> 00:00:23,250 - Cake is arguably one of the most iconic foods 9 00:00:23,250 --> 00:00:25,042 that we know in America today. 10 00:00:25,042 --> 00:00:26,750 I mean, think about the way it's presented, 11 00:00:26,750 --> 00:00:29,750 at the end of the meal in this sort of grandiose way, 12 00:00:29,750 --> 00:00:31,375 like a beautiful finale. 13 00:00:34,125 --> 00:00:37,208 - It looks like a party unto itself, and I think 14 00:00:37,208 --> 00:00:38,500 whenever you bake a cake, 15 00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:40,583 it tends to be a celebratory occasion. 16 00:00:42,375 --> 00:00:44,208 - [Narrator] Today, the global cake market 17 00:00:44,208 --> 00:00:46,292 is worth nearly $43 billion, 18 00:00:48,542 --> 00:00:52,875 and Americans consume a billion cakes each year. 19 00:00:52,875 --> 00:00:55,875 [dramatic music] 20 00:00:55,875 --> 00:00:57,083 But until the 1940s, 21 00:00:59,083 --> 00:01:01,417 cake was far from the staple it is today. 22 00:01:02,667 --> 00:01:06,125 - Cake was something that was extremely special 23 00:01:06,125 --> 00:01:08,375 and extremely rare. 24 00:01:08,375 --> 00:01:10,708 It was something only for special occasions, 25 00:01:10,708 --> 00:01:12,542 like birthdays and weddings. 26 00:01:12,542 --> 00:01:15,000 You might have it once or twice a year, 27 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:16,708 unless you were very, very wealthy. 28 00:01:18,292 --> 00:01:20,042 - [Narrator] But America's relationship with cake 29 00:01:20,042 --> 00:01:24,125 will be redefined by two most unlikely figures. 30 00:01:26,208 --> 00:01:28,750 - Duncan Hines was a traveling salesman. 31 00:01:28,750 --> 00:01:32,542 He traveled around, selling things you find in the office 32 00:01:32,542 --> 00:01:37,375 like pencils, pens, and stationery. 33 00:01:37,375 --> 00:01:39,500 - Betty Crocker's not a real person, 34 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:42,875 but she's been presented to the public in various forms 35 00:01:42,875 --> 00:01:46,667 of media as this person who is creating 36 00:01:46,667 --> 00:01:49,792 these wonderful baked goods for you to then make at home. 37 00:01:51,542 --> 00:01:53,875 - [Narrator] Both names will forever change 38 00:01:53,875 --> 00:01:56,458 the way America celebrates, 39 00:01:57,792 --> 00:02:01,958 making fresh homemade cakes part of our everyday lives. 40 00:02:01,958 --> 00:02:04,333 [dramatic music] 41 00:02:06,375 --> 00:02:09,458 [pounding muscular music] 42 00:02:15,208 --> 00:02:18,875 [pounding music continues] 43 00:02:27,417 --> 00:02:30,583 In the first few decades of the 20th century, 44 00:02:30,583 --> 00:02:33,375 baking a cake at home is not an easy option 45 00:02:33,375 --> 00:02:34,708 for most Americans. 46 00:02:36,375 --> 00:02:39,500 - We didn't have any kind of non-stick bakeware, 47 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:42,708 so you already had issues with the product adhering 48 00:02:42,708 --> 00:02:45,583 to the actual pan you were baking it in. 49 00:02:45,583 --> 00:02:48,875 Ovens had profoundly inconsistent temperatures. 50 00:02:50,208 --> 00:02:54,208 - And unlike today, flour was not uniform. 51 00:02:54,208 --> 00:02:55,917 It was not milled the same. 52 00:02:55,917 --> 00:02:57,375 A bag of flour from one company 53 00:02:57,375 --> 00:02:59,417 wouldn't be exactly the same as the other. 54 00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:02,667 Units of measurement were not standardized 55 00:03:02,667 --> 00:03:04,042 until the 1940s. 56 00:03:04,042 --> 00:03:07,083 So a cup from a recipe might mean 57 00:03:07,083 --> 00:03:09,208 a cup from Grandma's cupboard, 58 00:03:09,208 --> 00:03:11,542 or it might mean an actual cup. 59 00:03:11,542 --> 00:03:14,417 And if you couldn't bake the way you wanted to 60 00:03:14,417 --> 00:03:16,375 or the way other people wanted you to, 61 00:03:17,917 --> 00:03:19,375 that could really be a blow. 62 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,250 - [Narrator] But the wheels are about to be set in motion 63 00:03:23,250 --> 00:03:25,833 for a seismic shift in American home baking. 64 00:03:27,333 --> 00:03:30,292 [dramatic music] 65 00:03:32,208 --> 00:03:34,833 [mellow music] 66 00:03:35,958 --> 00:03:38,042 In the years following World War I, 67 00:03:38,042 --> 00:03:41,417 the Washburn Flour Mill, who makes Gold Medal flour, 68 00:03:41,417 --> 00:03:44,333 find themselves stuck with a product surplus. 69 00:03:46,917 --> 00:03:49,708 - American farmers and manufacturers were tasked 70 00:03:49,708 --> 00:03:52,375 with producing as much flour as possible 71 00:03:52,375 --> 00:03:53,833 so they could feed American soldiers 72 00:03:53,833 --> 00:03:57,292 and our allies overseas in the war efforts. 73 00:03:57,292 --> 00:03:59,708 Now, when the war comes to a close, 74 00:03:59,708 --> 00:04:03,458 that need rapidly diminishes and these manufacturers 75 00:04:03,458 --> 00:04:07,833 and farmers are left with this massive surplus. 76 00:04:07,833 --> 00:04:10,292 [soft music] 77 00:04:11,958 --> 00:04:14,750 - [Narrator] Washburn executive Samuel Gale has been tasked 78 00:04:14,750 --> 00:04:18,333 with creating a promotion to help boost sales. 79 00:04:19,750 --> 00:04:22,458 - So, Samuel Gale is the Department Manager 80 00:04:22,458 --> 00:04:26,375 of the advertising department for Washburn and Crosby. 81 00:04:26,375 --> 00:04:29,417 And he's got this idea to promote Gold Medal flour 82 00:04:29,417 --> 00:04:31,500 with a puzzle contest. 83 00:04:32,583 --> 00:04:37,500 - They ran an ad, which involved putting pieces 84 00:04:38,208 --> 00:04:39,708 of a jigsaw puzzle together, 85 00:04:39,708 --> 00:04:43,583 and that was published in newspapers and magazines. 86 00:04:43,583 --> 00:04:47,625 - You could send this completed puzzle back 87 00:04:47,625 --> 00:04:50,875 and you would receive a free pin cushion 88 00:04:50,875 --> 00:04:54,583 that resembled a tiny bag of Gold Medal flour. 89 00:04:56,292 --> 00:04:58,583 - They got thousands of responses. 90 00:05:01,375 --> 00:05:02,750 - [Narrator] But to Gale's surprise, 91 00:05:02,750 --> 00:05:05,458 many of the puzzle responses include something else, 92 00:05:08,292 --> 00:05:10,417 letters from housewives. 93 00:05:11,292 --> 00:05:13,208 - They had questions about baking, 94 00:05:13,208 --> 00:05:15,750 which was so full of uncertainty. 95 00:05:15,750 --> 00:05:18,958 These were women all over America, 96 00:05:18,958 --> 00:05:22,542 who had suddenly had access to a flour company, 97 00:05:22,542 --> 00:05:26,167 somebody who was supposed to understand flour and baking, 98 00:05:26,167 --> 00:05:28,750 so there was somebody to ask. 99 00:05:28,750 --> 00:05:32,625 - Things like, "Why isn't my cake rising?" 100 00:05:32,625 --> 00:05:34,833 - "Why does my cake always fail?' 101 00:05:34,833 --> 00:05:38,667 "Why does my bread have a weird crack across the top?" 102 00:05:38,667 --> 00:05:41,958 [pages crinkling] [soft music] 103 00:05:41,958 --> 00:05:45,292 - [Narrator] Seeing a new opportunity to engage consumers, 104 00:05:45,292 --> 00:05:47,875 Gale decides that they should answer each letter 105 00:05:47,875 --> 00:05:48,708 they receive. 106 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:55,875 - But Gale thought that the reply shouldn't come from him 107 00:05:55,875 --> 00:05:59,458 or from anyone on the all- male advertising department. 108 00:05:59,458 --> 00:06:01,333 He thought it should come from a woman. 109 00:06:02,625 --> 00:06:05,417 - But how on earth do you find this incredibly culinarily 110 00:06:05,417 --> 00:06:09,500 talented housewife who has the cooking chops 111 00:06:09,500 --> 00:06:12,542 to sort of be the burning bush 112 00:06:12,542 --> 00:06:15,375 where all the other housewives look for inspiration, 113 00:06:15,375 --> 00:06:17,417 for advice, for direction? 114 00:06:19,042 --> 00:06:23,208 So Sam Gale realizes, "I know how I could find this person. 115 00:06:23,208 --> 00:06:24,458 I'll invent her." 116 00:06:26,083 --> 00:06:30,042 - So he decides he can create this fictional, 117 00:06:30,042 --> 00:06:34,875 idealized female homemaker, this perfect person. 118 00:06:34,875 --> 00:06:37,292 [dramatic music] 119 00:06:37,292 --> 00:06:39,875 - So they chose the name Betty Crocker. 120 00:06:39,875 --> 00:06:43,542 Betty, because it was a friendly, homey kind of name. 121 00:06:44,667 --> 00:06:47,542 - The last name came from William Crocker, 122 00:06:47,542 --> 00:06:51,042 a recently retired, well-respected and liked 123 00:06:51,042 --> 00:06:52,917 General Mills executive. 124 00:06:55,417 --> 00:06:58,583 [suspenseful music] 125 00:06:59,750 --> 00:07:02,583 - And they had a contest with all the female employees 126 00:07:02,583 --> 00:07:06,292 to have them sign Betty Crocker's signature, 127 00:07:06,292 --> 00:07:08,958 and they settled on one. 128 00:07:08,958 --> 00:07:12,708 An employee named Florence provided her signature, 129 00:07:12,708 --> 00:07:15,708 and then she quickly had to train all sorts of people 130 00:07:15,708 --> 00:07:17,458 in how to sign her signature. 131 00:07:19,542 --> 00:07:22,250 - [Narrator] The company hires a team of home economists 132 00:07:22,250 --> 00:07:26,875 to represent Betty and names the department Home Services. 133 00:07:26,875 --> 00:07:29,792 - And they did establish that every single letter 134 00:07:29,792 --> 00:07:33,417 sent to Betty Crocker would be met with a return letter. 135 00:07:33,417 --> 00:07:35,000 And that built trust. 136 00:07:37,667 --> 00:07:38,833 - [Narrator] The head of the department 137 00:07:38,833 --> 00:07:41,167 is 31-year-old Marjorie Hustead. 138 00:07:43,375 --> 00:07:46,125 - Marjorie Hustead was a college graduate, 139 00:07:46,125 --> 00:07:48,708 went right into this sort of culinary workforce 140 00:07:48,708 --> 00:07:50,250 right after graduation, 141 00:07:50,250 --> 00:07:52,667 and she had worked in marketing and advertising 142 00:07:52,667 --> 00:07:57,542 for a macaroni company, so she understood how to market food 143 00:07:57,542 --> 00:08:01,125 and she understood how to communicate with consumers. 144 00:08:01,125 --> 00:08:03,833 Not to mention she knew how to cook her ass off. 145 00:08:06,417 --> 00:08:09,333 - Marjorie Hustead went into Washburn-Crosby 146 00:08:09,333 --> 00:08:14,458 with a strong sense of how to communicate with home cooks. 147 00:08:15,583 --> 00:08:17,208 - The women who were writing in had no reason 148 00:08:17,208 --> 00:08:18,875 to believe she wasn't real. 149 00:08:18,875 --> 00:08:20,708 The letters were personalized, 150 00:08:20,708 --> 00:08:22,708 they were lengthy and handwritten and signed, 151 00:08:22,708 --> 00:08:24,125 "Cordially yours." 152 00:08:25,542 --> 00:08:27,583 Betty Crocker was becoming a household name. 153 00:08:29,708 --> 00:08:31,583 - [Narrator] By 1930, after merging 154 00:08:31,583 --> 00:08:33,500 with four other flour mills, 155 00:08:33,500 --> 00:08:37,542 Washburn-Crosby takes on a new name, General Mills. 156 00:08:39,208 --> 00:08:42,667 - So, once Gold Medal is brought into General Mills, 157 00:08:42,667 --> 00:08:44,708 those folks start to see all the letters, 158 00:08:44,708 --> 00:08:47,875 the thousands of letters coming in to Betty Crocker, right? 159 00:08:47,875 --> 00:08:50,333 And they think, "Wow, this presents an opportunity. 160 00:08:50,333 --> 00:08:53,125 So how do we really bring it up to the next level?" 161 00:08:53,125 --> 00:08:55,000 - They thought, "Well, why don't we give the 162 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,875 Home Service department their own radio show 163 00:08:57,875 --> 00:09:00,167 and we can have Betty Crocker go on the air?" 164 00:09:03,292 --> 00:09:04,542 - [Narrator] By the early '30s, 165 00:09:04,542 --> 00:09:07,292 Marjorie Hustead is given a new role 166 00:09:07,292 --> 00:09:09,167 as the voice of Betty Crocker. 167 00:09:10,583 --> 00:09:14,417 - In the early 1900s, radio was the number one 168 00:09:14,417 --> 00:09:16,167 form of entertainment for America. 169 00:09:17,500 --> 00:09:20,125 - There was a time when radio was all there was. 170 00:09:21,708 --> 00:09:24,417 People said later that the, it was the radio that kind of 171 00:09:24,417 --> 00:09:25,917 made Betty Crocker. 172 00:09:27,250 --> 00:09:29,250 - Marjorie was the brains, 173 00:09:29,250 --> 00:09:31,375 and, for a time, the voice 174 00:09:31,375 --> 00:09:33,750 behind the Betty Crocker radio show. 175 00:09:35,042 --> 00:09:40,125 - So here is Betty Crocker and she's speaking to you. 176 00:09:41,125 --> 00:09:42,708 But the fact that you couldn't see her 177 00:09:42,708 --> 00:09:46,667 adds a really wonderful layer of mysteriousness to her 178 00:09:46,667 --> 00:09:50,167 that only seems to further galvanize her appeal. 179 00:09:51,542 --> 00:09:53,208 - Helen from Iowa writes, 180 00:09:54,500 --> 00:09:57,333 "Dear Betty, I don't know how to make a cake, 181 00:09:57,333 --> 00:09:59,042 but my neighbor does. 182 00:09:59,042 --> 00:10:01,833 Is there danger of her capturing my husband?" 183 00:10:03,625 --> 00:10:05,708 - It was a lot matters of the heart. 184 00:10:05,708 --> 00:10:09,208 For example, Betty Crocker did talk about husbands 185 00:10:09,208 --> 00:10:14,208 and boyfriends and suitors and how to keep your family happy 186 00:10:15,583 --> 00:10:16,792 and what to do when things weren't going well. 187 00:10:18,042 --> 00:10:21,542 - Helen, your husband's devotion is stronger than cake. 188 00:10:21,542 --> 00:10:23,458 Just keep practicing when he's at work 189 00:10:23,458 --> 00:10:25,542 and when his next birthday rolls around, 190 00:10:25,542 --> 00:10:27,250 he'll be in for a huge surprise. 191 00:10:29,542 --> 00:10:31,208 - Betty Crocker was without question, 192 00:10:31,208 --> 00:10:35,583 kind of like the "Dear Abby" of her time. 193 00:10:35,583 --> 00:10:37,292 Women felt connected to her, 194 00:10:37,292 --> 00:10:41,250 and she was also kind of the aspirational homemaker ideal 195 00:10:42,375 --> 00:10:44,667 that they all sought to be. 196 00:10:44,667 --> 00:10:46,375 [dramatic music] 197 00:10:46,375 --> 00:10:48,583 - [Narrator] Inventing Betty was a truly brilliant 198 00:10:48,583 --> 00:10:50,667 feat of marketing, 199 00:10:50,667 --> 00:10:53,292 one that created a trusted name in food. 200 00:10:55,250 --> 00:10:57,583 But Betty's reign will soon be challenged by 201 00:10:57,583 --> 00:11:00,375 the last person anyone could have anticipated. 202 00:11:01,875 --> 00:11:05,000 [suspenseful music] 203 00:11:05,833 --> 00:11:07,625 A thousand miles away, 204 00:11:09,667 --> 00:11:13,083 a traveling salesman finds himself far from home 205 00:11:13,083 --> 00:11:15,000 at a hole-in-the- wall restaurant. 206 00:11:19,167 --> 00:11:21,667 - So what brings you all the way out to these parts? 207 00:11:21,667 --> 00:11:22,708 - Work. 208 00:11:22,708 --> 00:11:23,875 I'm a traveling salesman. 209 00:11:24,792 --> 00:11:27,125 Office supplies, paper clips, 210 00:11:27,125 --> 00:11:29,750 envelope openers, that sort of thing. 211 00:11:29,750 --> 00:11:31,833 - Well, if you'd like to leave a business card 212 00:11:31,833 --> 00:11:35,708 for my manager, maybe he'd need some office supplies. 213 00:11:35,708 --> 00:11:38,667 - Thank you. [dramatic music] 214 00:11:40,042 --> 00:11:42,500 - [Narrator] It's a name that one day will give rise 215 00:11:42,500 --> 00:11:44,542 to a $200 million empire. 216 00:11:44,542 --> 00:11:47,958 [dramatic music] 217 00:11:47,958 --> 00:11:51,542 And be associated throughout the world with fresh-baked cake 218 00:11:51,542 --> 00:11:53,042 and rich, buttery frosting. 219 00:11:53,042 --> 00:11:55,792 [dramatic music] 220 00:11:57,958 --> 00:12:00,833 But for now, he's a struggling salesman, 221 00:12:00,833 --> 00:12:02,875 peddling office supplies across America. 222 00:12:02,875 --> 00:12:04,958 [dramatic music] 223 00:12:09,708 --> 00:12:11,708 [mellow music] 224 00:12:12,292 --> 00:12:15,625 - It's the early 1930s and Duncan Hines, 225 00:12:15,625 --> 00:12:17,167 a traveling salesman, 226 00:12:17,167 --> 00:12:19,583 is thoughtfully jotting down his impressions 227 00:12:19,583 --> 00:12:21,083 on the meal he's just eaten. 228 00:12:22,583 --> 00:12:24,792 - Duncan Hines is a unique character. 229 00:12:24,792 --> 00:12:28,000 He's really just kind of obsessed with food 230 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,250 and wherever he travels, 231 00:12:29,250 --> 00:12:32,208 he's always seeking out the best food. 232 00:12:32,208 --> 00:12:33,375 - Duncan Hines 233 00:12:33,375 --> 00:12:35,917 had no professional culinary experience. 234 00:12:35,917 --> 00:12:37,958 He'd not gone to school to study it. 235 00:12:37,958 --> 00:12:40,708 He had simply enjoyed good cooking. 236 00:12:40,708 --> 00:12:43,167 - He was very picky about where he ate, 237 00:12:43,167 --> 00:12:45,375 and so when he ate at a good restaurant, 238 00:12:45,375 --> 00:12:48,625 he would note it down in a little notebook that he had, 239 00:12:48,625 --> 00:12:50,125 that he carried around with him. 240 00:12:51,458 --> 00:12:53,667 - And in this notebook he would record, of course, 241 00:12:53,667 --> 00:12:56,417 the name, the location. 242 00:12:56,417 --> 00:12:58,125 He was recording prices. 243 00:13:00,250 --> 00:13:02,708 - [Narrator] While Hines is driven by his love for food, 244 00:13:02,708 --> 00:13:05,417 his interest goes beyond the restaurant's menu. 245 00:13:06,833 --> 00:13:09,375 - Oh, and one more thing. 246 00:13:09,375 --> 00:13:10,167 Do you think it'd be alright 247 00:13:10,167 --> 00:13:11,875 if I had a look at the kitchen? 248 00:13:14,833 --> 00:13:18,500 - Let me check, Mr. Hines. - Thank you. 249 00:13:21,083 --> 00:13:24,708 - In the '20s and '30s, restaurant inspections 250 00:13:24,708 --> 00:13:26,583 were few and far between. 251 00:13:26,583 --> 00:13:29,417 He knew that you could get sick, 252 00:13:29,417 --> 00:13:34,375 and sometimes fatally sick, if it was not prepared well. 253 00:13:34,375 --> 00:13:37,667 So sanitation and cleanliness around the preparation 254 00:13:37,667 --> 00:13:40,167 of food was paramount to Duncan Hines. 255 00:13:42,167 --> 00:13:44,958 - [Narrator] Soon, word spreads through family and friends 256 00:13:44,958 --> 00:13:47,000 that Hines is a trusted source 257 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,000 for restaurant recommendations. 258 00:13:50,167 --> 00:13:52,500 - Over the years, this guidebook of his, 259 00:13:52,500 --> 00:13:56,167 this little notebook of his grew and grew and grew, 260 00:13:56,167 --> 00:13:58,708 and everybody wanted to know where these places were 261 00:13:58,708 --> 00:14:01,292 that were sanitary, as well as good food. 262 00:14:01,292 --> 00:14:04,292 People from all walks of life would write him, 263 00:14:04,292 --> 00:14:06,542 wanting to know where the best place to eat in this city 264 00:14:06,542 --> 00:14:08,708 and that city and so forth. 265 00:14:08,708 --> 00:14:12,458 And he was deluged with all these requests for 266 00:14:12,458 --> 00:14:14,125 where the best place to eat was. 267 00:14:16,750 --> 00:14:18,000 - [Narrator] Duncan Hines decides 268 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:19,958 to self-publish his findings. 269 00:14:21,208 --> 00:14:23,875 - Duncan Hines really believed that there was a place 270 00:14:23,875 --> 00:14:27,417 for this guidebook of good eating, 271 00:14:27,417 --> 00:14:31,875 and this was a crusade that he happily jumped on the horse 272 00:14:31,875 --> 00:14:34,542 and went full force with, because he felt 273 00:14:34,542 --> 00:14:35,958 it was important. 274 00:14:37,500 --> 00:14:41,333 - [Narrator] After an initial investment of $1,113, 275 00:14:41,333 --> 00:14:44,083 he prints 5,000 copies of his list. 276 00:14:44,083 --> 00:14:47,042 He calls it "Adventures in Good Eating" 277 00:14:47,042 --> 00:14:49,833 and charges $1 to cover printing costs. 278 00:14:52,917 --> 00:14:56,042 It has 475 establishments in it 279 00:14:56,042 --> 00:14:58,375 and sells out by the end of the year. 280 00:14:58,375 --> 00:15:00,500 [pleasant music] 281 00:15:00,500 --> 00:15:03,833 - This guy's literally creating a culinary 282 00:15:03,833 --> 00:15:05,750 roadmap for America. 283 00:15:05,750 --> 00:15:06,917 It's pretty amazing. 284 00:15:08,708 --> 00:15:12,417 - He didn't try to fluff it up like a food critic would. 285 00:15:12,417 --> 00:15:14,667 He was giving them basic information about where 286 00:15:14,667 --> 00:15:18,417 to get a good plate of food when they were traveling around. 287 00:15:19,667 --> 00:15:24,500 - It's radical to even think about a world before Yelp 288 00:15:25,542 --> 00:15:26,542 or Google Maps. 289 00:15:28,083 --> 00:15:30,000 - I think Duncan Hines really looked at this as a service. 290 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,458 It was not a moneymaking gimmick for him. 291 00:15:32,458 --> 00:15:35,625 This was something that he crusaded for. 292 00:15:37,042 --> 00:15:41,208 - [Narrator] In 1937, Hines publishes 16,000 copies 293 00:15:41,208 --> 00:15:44,250 of a second edition of "Adventures in Good Eating," 294 00:15:44,250 --> 00:15:46,500 covering even more restaurants. 295 00:15:47,708 --> 00:15:51,542 - Duncan Hines earned much more than $1 each time 296 00:15:51,542 --> 00:15:52,708 he sold one of his books, 297 00:15:52,708 --> 00:15:55,542 because they experienced the same thing that he did. 298 00:15:55,542 --> 00:15:59,208 From his recommendations, he earned people's trust. 299 00:15:59,208 --> 00:16:01,375 - Suddenly, Duncan Hines was a name 300 00:16:01,375 --> 00:16:03,375 that was familiar coast to coast, 301 00:16:04,458 --> 00:16:06,167 - [Narrator] But he's still a long way 302 00:16:06,167 --> 00:16:08,042 from the thing he's most known for today. 303 00:16:12,125 --> 00:16:16,417 [gentle pulsating music] 304 00:16:20,375 --> 00:16:23,208 By the end of the '30s, Betty Crocker's radio show 305 00:16:23,208 --> 00:16:25,042 has millions of listeners 306 00:16:25,042 --> 00:16:28,208 and Betty's receiving around 5,000 letters a week. 307 00:16:30,417 --> 00:16:32,917 - One of the great fringe benefits 308 00:16:32,917 --> 00:16:36,750 of having Betty Crocker receiving all this mail 309 00:16:36,750 --> 00:16:40,708 was it gave her incredible insight into the cooking plight 310 00:16:40,708 --> 00:16:42,417 of American women at that time. 311 00:16:42,417 --> 00:16:46,375 And for a company, that stuff is pure gold. 312 00:16:48,042 --> 00:16:50,083 - [Narrator] For years, Marjorie has noticed 313 00:16:50,083 --> 00:16:52,208 one particular problem in the kitchen 314 00:16:52,208 --> 00:16:55,167 that plagues more women than anything else. 315 00:16:55,167 --> 00:16:58,125 [dramatic music] 316 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,125 [footsteps] 317 00:17:01,125 --> 00:17:03,125 - Sam, can you guess what at least half of these 318 00:17:03,125 --> 00:17:04,167 are gonna be about? 319 00:17:05,875 --> 00:17:07,667 Baking expectations they can't meet. 320 00:17:09,042 --> 00:17:10,375 Cakes, in particular. 321 00:17:11,750 --> 00:17:14,625 - And they realized there was a lot of pain and anger 322 00:17:14,625 --> 00:17:18,292 and frustration when it came to making cakes. 323 00:17:18,292 --> 00:17:20,583 - Cakes are very hard. 324 00:17:20,708 --> 00:17:23,000 - And that's why they have you. 325 00:17:24,208 --> 00:17:26,500 - What if we could really help them? 326 00:17:26,500 --> 00:17:30,542 What if we gave them a way to make baking a cake foolproof? 327 00:17:30,542 --> 00:17:31,958 - Baking a cake. 328 00:17:31,958 --> 00:17:34,708 It was really considered the Holy Grail 329 00:17:34,708 --> 00:17:36,542 of the homemaking process. 330 00:17:36,542 --> 00:17:40,375 - Cake began to symbolize really a badge of what kind 331 00:17:40,375 --> 00:17:43,458 of homemaker you were, what kind of mother you were. 332 00:17:43,458 --> 00:17:45,625 - Just keep doing what you're doing. 333 00:17:45,625 --> 00:17:46,708 Oh. 334 00:17:49,625 --> 00:17:51,292 They love you. 335 00:17:52,208 --> 00:17:54,750 [pulsating music] 336 00:18:00,542 --> 00:18:03,250 - [Narrator] Determined to find a fail-proof cake recipe, 337 00:18:03,250 --> 00:18:04,958 Marjorie begins digging through 338 00:18:04,958 --> 00:18:07,292 General Mills' recipe archives. 339 00:18:10,708 --> 00:18:12,208 - Bisquick is interesting, 340 00:18:12,208 --> 00:18:15,583 because it's part of what they call the baking mix 341 00:18:15,583 --> 00:18:16,917 world or a complete mix. 342 00:18:16,917 --> 00:18:19,042 So it had flour and some sugar 343 00:18:19,042 --> 00:18:21,375 and a leavening agent inside of it, 344 00:18:21,375 --> 00:18:23,833 so it really simplified baking 345 00:18:23,833 --> 00:18:26,333 and made it much easier for people. 346 00:18:26,333 --> 00:18:29,750 This is especially important during the Great Depression. 347 00:18:30,875 --> 00:18:34,375 - Bisquick promised and delivered, making biscuits 348 00:18:34,375 --> 00:18:38,792 in about 90 seconds by just adding water. 349 00:18:38,792 --> 00:18:41,667 It's easy. It's not as messy. 350 00:18:41,667 --> 00:18:44,667 Anybody can do it, and they turned out pretty good. 351 00:18:46,250 --> 00:18:48,125 - [Narrator] Marjorie Hustead has an idea 352 00:18:48,125 --> 00:18:50,333 to create a similar product, 353 00:18:50,333 --> 00:18:53,542 one that would yield a quick and foolproof cake. 354 00:18:56,333 --> 00:19:00,375 - Sure, just add water to a biscuit. Okay, that's fine. 355 00:19:00,375 --> 00:19:03,500 A biscuit's a side dish. It's not the main attraction. 356 00:19:03,500 --> 00:19:06,042 [dramatic music] 357 00:19:06,042 --> 00:19:09,708 - So Marjorie raised the idea of doing a cake mix 358 00:19:09,708 --> 00:19:11,333 where you just add water, 359 00:19:11,333 --> 00:19:13,875 and people thought she was out of her mind. 360 00:19:13,875 --> 00:19:15,792 [dramatic music] 361 00:19:21,292 --> 00:19:23,625 [suspenseful music] 362 00:19:23,625 --> 00:19:26,208 - [Narrator] By the early '40s, after months of pushing, 363 00:19:26,208 --> 00:19:29,208 Marjorie Hustead has finally convinced General Mills 364 00:19:29,208 --> 00:19:31,042 to invest in what they hope will be a 365 00:19:31,042 --> 00:19:32,500 groundbreaking new product. 366 00:19:35,042 --> 00:19:37,500 A just add water cake mix. 367 00:19:38,583 --> 00:19:40,750 - Moisture is a huge challenge here. 368 00:19:40,750 --> 00:19:43,375 How are you gonna keep that cake moist 369 00:19:43,375 --> 00:19:46,125 and make up for all of that liquid that's been removed? 370 00:19:48,125 --> 00:19:51,208 [suspenseful music] 371 00:19:54,083 --> 00:19:54,833 - Too dry. 372 00:19:55,875 --> 00:19:56,667 - And too flat. 373 00:19:57,875 --> 00:20:01,500 - There is a whole scientific process that goes in 374 00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:04,917 creating flavors, using the scientific method, 375 00:20:04,917 --> 00:20:06,750 running experiments, 376 00:20:06,750 --> 00:20:09,667 and I think we don't necessarily think about food like that. 377 00:20:11,333 --> 00:20:12,375 - Too pungent. 378 00:20:13,750 --> 00:20:15,625 - And still too dry. 379 00:20:15,625 --> 00:20:17,625 - [Narrator] But despite all their efforts, 380 00:20:17,625 --> 00:20:21,125 creating a good cake mix, which requires nothing but water 381 00:20:21,125 --> 00:20:23,292 is beginning to seem impossible. 382 00:20:24,375 --> 00:20:26,167 - Now, how about the powdered eggs? 383 00:20:28,875 --> 00:20:32,708 - The basic way you make a cake is called creaming, 384 00:20:32,708 --> 00:20:35,083 where you cream your butter and sugar together, 385 00:20:35,083 --> 00:20:37,375 and that doesn't just give it flavor, 386 00:20:37,375 --> 00:20:40,208 but it helps your cake rise and the eggs also. 387 00:20:41,792 --> 00:20:42,583 - Too eggy. 388 00:20:45,083 --> 00:20:46,708 - But the texture's getting there. 389 00:20:48,125 --> 00:20:51,167 - They knew that they could put dried eggs into the mix. 390 00:20:51,167 --> 00:20:54,417 However, they also gave the resulting cakes 391 00:20:54,417 --> 00:20:55,708 kind of a weird taste. 392 00:20:55,708 --> 00:20:58,583 It was a little bit of an eggy flavor. 393 00:20:59,708 --> 00:21:01,083 - [Narrator] While the classic vanilla recipes 394 00:21:01,083 --> 00:21:02,583 aren't yet working, 395 00:21:02,583 --> 00:21:04,875 there is a another flavor they're experimenting with. 396 00:21:07,833 --> 00:21:09,000 - Let's try the ginger. 397 00:21:10,333 --> 00:21:13,417 [suspenseful music] 398 00:21:24,167 --> 00:21:24,875 That's it. 399 00:21:26,042 --> 00:21:28,000 [dramatic music] 400 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:32,542 - Ginger had really gained momentum during the war 401 00:21:32,542 --> 00:21:34,208 because it was versatile, 402 00:21:34,208 --> 00:21:39,250 and you didn't necessarily have to use sugar and eggs in it. 403 00:21:41,042 --> 00:21:41,708 - And that sort of got rid of the 404 00:21:41,708 --> 00:21:43,250 need to add dehydrated eggs. 405 00:21:44,375 --> 00:21:46,375 - [Narrator] Finally, General Mills settles 406 00:21:46,375 --> 00:21:49,458 on a ginger recipe, which doesn't require eggs. 407 00:21:49,458 --> 00:21:52,333 Not only will it be the first boxed cake mix, 408 00:21:52,333 --> 00:21:54,958 it'll be the first Betty Crocker baking product. 409 00:21:55,875 --> 00:21:58,167 [dramatic music] 410 00:21:58,167 --> 00:22:00,083 - Betty Crocker now was gonna be more 411 00:22:00,083 --> 00:22:01,583 than a name and a voice. 412 00:22:01,583 --> 00:22:03,958 She was going to be her own brand. 413 00:22:05,542 --> 00:22:07,208 - [Narrator] And with Betty's name attached to it, 414 00:22:07,208 --> 00:22:09,667 no competitor will be able to come close. 415 00:22:10,625 --> 00:22:13,375 At least, none that exists yet. 416 00:22:13,375 --> 00:22:16,292 [dramatic music] 417 00:22:21,625 --> 00:22:24,208 In Ithaca, New York, Roy Park, 418 00:22:24,208 --> 00:22:26,375 the owner of a small advertising agency, 419 00:22:26,375 --> 00:22:29,083 is looking for a way to save his business. 420 00:22:31,708 --> 00:22:34,583 - Roy Park grew up on a farm in North Carolina, 421 00:22:34,583 --> 00:22:36,500 but quickly realized that farming 422 00:22:36,500 --> 00:22:38,083 wasn't gonna be the path for him. 423 00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:42,417 - After graduating from college, Park gets a job 424 00:22:42,417 --> 00:22:45,125 with a cooperative of cotton farmers, 425 00:22:45,125 --> 00:22:47,917 where he establishes and publishes 426 00:22:47,917 --> 00:22:51,375 the first trade magazine for cotton farmers. 427 00:22:51,375 --> 00:22:53,792 It's only then that he realizes actually 428 00:22:53,792 --> 00:22:57,542 what he's really good at, which is marketing. 429 00:22:57,542 --> 00:23:00,125 - [Narrator] Park now runs his own marketing agency, 430 00:23:00,125 --> 00:23:01,500 which revolves around 431 00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:03,958 a cooperative of small, local farmers. 432 00:23:07,958 --> 00:23:09,958 - His business is based around one large client, 433 00:23:09,958 --> 00:23:11,375 and that's the cooperative of farmers 434 00:23:11,375 --> 00:23:12,958 that are producing corn and wheat. 435 00:23:14,375 --> 00:23:16,083 - [Narrator] The group of farmers Park represents 436 00:23:16,083 --> 00:23:19,292 are increasingly struggling to yield profits, 437 00:23:19,292 --> 00:23:21,417 as more and more farms are bought up 438 00:23:21,417 --> 00:23:23,000 by large conglomerates. 439 00:23:24,833 --> 00:23:26,542 - The flour industry back then is 440 00:23:26,542 --> 00:23:28,333 not much different than now. 441 00:23:28,333 --> 00:23:32,417 Giant flour mills could afford to cut prices 442 00:23:32,417 --> 00:23:33,958 when they had excess inventory, 443 00:23:33,958 --> 00:23:36,542 and the local, smaller flour mills just could not 444 00:23:36,542 --> 00:23:38,250 compete at those low prices. 445 00:23:38,250 --> 00:23:41,333 [tense pulsating music] 446 00:23:41,333 --> 00:23:43,708 - [Narrator] While the co-op's farmers can't lower prices, 447 00:23:43,708 --> 00:23:46,167 they can offer higher quality. 448 00:23:47,958 --> 00:23:50,583 - Roy Park had done some studies where he had found 449 00:23:50,583 --> 00:23:53,750 that housewives were really begrudging about spending money 450 00:23:53,750 --> 00:23:57,000 in the supermarkets on food, but not at a jewelry store. 451 00:23:58,708 --> 00:24:00,542 - [Narrator] Park believes if he could get women 452 00:24:00,542 --> 00:24:03,542 to see higher quality foods as a luxury, 453 00:24:03,542 --> 00:24:07,542 they'd be willing to splurge on higher priced products. 454 00:24:07,542 --> 00:24:10,500 He just needs to find a way to convince them. 455 00:24:11,875 --> 00:24:14,958 - Hi, honey. I'm gonna be at the office 'til late. 456 00:24:14,958 --> 00:24:16,083 I just wanted to call and let you know 457 00:24:16,083 --> 00:24:17,542 that I won't make it home for- 458 00:24:18,625 --> 00:24:20,917 Okay, did I catch you in the middle of something? 459 00:24:20,917 --> 00:24:23,500 - [Mrs. Park] You know not to call me when Betty's on. 460 00:24:25,042 --> 00:24:25,792 - Goodbye. 461 00:24:29,375 --> 00:24:31,958 [Roy sighing] 462 00:24:35,958 --> 00:24:38,000 [knob clicking] 463 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,625 [radio playing] 464 00:24:41,708 --> 00:24:44,208 - Roy Park, being in advertising, 465 00:24:44,208 --> 00:24:48,833 knew that that kind of a trusted, respected voice 466 00:24:48,833 --> 00:24:51,208 was worth its weight in gold. 467 00:24:51,208 --> 00:24:53,958 [dramatic music] 468 00:24:56,042 --> 00:24:57,667 - [Narrator] But what he doesn't know 469 00:24:57,667 --> 00:24:59,958 is that America's trust in Betty Crocker 470 00:24:59,958 --> 00:25:03,708 is about to be shaken when a popular magazine 471 00:25:03,708 --> 00:25:05,875 reveals a long kept secret. 472 00:25:05,875 --> 00:25:08,375 - So General Mills never actively lied 473 00:25:08,375 --> 00:25:10,542 and said Betty Crocker was real, 474 00:25:10,542 --> 00:25:12,083 but they heavily implied it. 475 00:25:13,542 --> 00:25:16,250 - The magazine called her a fraud and a fake. 476 00:25:16,250 --> 00:25:18,250 America just had their trust betrayed 477 00:25:18,250 --> 00:25:21,583 by General Mills. [dramatic music] 478 00:25:27,292 --> 00:25:29,750 [mellow music] 479 00:25:31,708 --> 00:25:33,833 - [Narrator] The General Mills team has been gearing up 480 00:25:33,833 --> 00:25:36,792 to release the Betty Crocker brand's first product, 481 00:25:36,792 --> 00:25:39,583 an instant ginger flavored cake mix, 482 00:25:39,583 --> 00:25:41,750 when they're dealt a devastating blow. 483 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:44,750 - Marjorie. 484 00:25:46,208 --> 00:25:48,083 - [Narrator] General Mills learns that an article 485 00:25:48,083 --> 00:25:51,583 about Betty will be coming out in Fortune Magazine, 486 00:25:51,583 --> 00:25:53,167 a national publication. 487 00:25:56,792 --> 00:25:58,750 - So for a long time there was this buzz 488 00:25:58,750 --> 00:26:01,542 of rumors about Betty being a fictional character. 489 00:26:01,542 --> 00:26:03,792 [dramatic music] 490 00:26:03,792 --> 00:26:07,792 - So in 1945, Fortune Magazine 491 00:26:07,792 --> 00:26:09,792 publicly outed Betty Crocker. 492 00:26:10,917 --> 00:26:13,042 It said that she wasn't a real person. 493 00:26:14,125 --> 00:26:16,792 It was as if you went to the North Pole 494 00:26:16,792 --> 00:26:18,792 to see the most famous person 495 00:26:18,792 --> 00:26:21,500 and to find out he doesn't live there. 496 00:26:21,500 --> 00:26:24,292 [dramatic music] 497 00:26:26,625 --> 00:26:28,417 - And suddenly, Sam Gale and Marjorie Hustead, 498 00:26:28,417 --> 00:26:29,917 who have poured in countless hours, 499 00:26:29,917 --> 00:26:32,708 countless dollars into creating this entity 500 00:26:32,708 --> 00:26:35,167 of Betty Crocker have no idea what to do, 501 00:26:35,167 --> 00:26:37,875 and they can't do damage control in real time 502 00:26:37,875 --> 00:26:40,583 like we can with social media today. 503 00:26:40,583 --> 00:26:41,750 - General Mills says, "Well, 504 00:26:41,750 --> 00:26:43,542 we never said she was a real person." 505 00:26:43,542 --> 00:26:45,917 And it's really a murky thing in terms 506 00:26:45,917 --> 00:26:48,750 of the American public's perception, 507 00:26:48,750 --> 00:26:53,167 because the reason why they created this character 508 00:26:53,167 --> 00:26:57,708 was for people to go, "Wow, there's an actual person there." 509 00:26:57,708 --> 00:26:59,708 - [Narrator] With that trust now broken, 510 00:26:59,708 --> 00:27:03,083 the Betty Crocker brand faces an uncertain future. 511 00:27:04,458 --> 00:27:07,708 - So all they can do is sit on their hands, check the mail, 512 00:27:07,708 --> 00:27:10,583 and wait to see how this one shakes out. 513 00:27:16,542 --> 00:27:18,667 - [Narrator] While the General Mills team is left waiting 514 00:27:18,667 --> 00:27:21,750 for the fallout, Roy Park sees an opportunity 515 00:27:21,750 --> 00:27:23,708 to strike while the iron's hot. 516 00:27:25,167 --> 00:27:28,250 - America just had their trust betrayed by General Mills, 517 00:27:28,250 --> 00:27:31,042 and they were primed to have someone new to believe in, 518 00:27:31,042 --> 00:27:33,292 someone who they could trust. 519 00:27:33,292 --> 00:27:37,083 - [Narrator] And Park has an idea for the perfect person. 520 00:27:37,083 --> 00:27:40,208 - Duncan Hines was a name that was familiar coast to coast. 521 00:27:40,208 --> 00:27:42,583 Everybody knew the name Duncan Hines. 522 00:27:42,583 --> 00:27:46,750 - Duncan Hines had a bond of trust with the American public. 523 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:50,958 - [Narrator] Hoping to convince Hines to put his name 524 00:27:50,958 --> 00:27:54,542 behind his client's products, Park creates mockups 525 00:27:54,542 --> 00:27:55,750 to show Hines. 526 00:27:57,083 --> 00:27:58,958 [paper crinkling] 527 00:27:58,958 --> 00:28:01,792 - Look, I appreciate the interest, 528 00:28:01,792 --> 00:28:04,708 but I don't do endorsements. 529 00:28:04,708 --> 00:28:07,000 - He didn't care if he made a lot of money. 530 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,042 So Roy Park developed a pitch that would apply 531 00:28:11,042 --> 00:28:13,583 specifically to Duncan Hines. 532 00:28:13,583 --> 00:28:15,125 - With your endorsement, 533 00:28:15,125 --> 00:28:17,917 these products can make good eating accessible to everyone. 534 00:28:19,042 --> 00:28:21,042 - Roy Parks studied Duncan Hines, 535 00:28:21,042 --> 00:28:24,167 this man who was really fastidious 536 00:28:24,167 --> 00:28:27,042 and he realizes people would try to bribe him. 537 00:28:27,042 --> 00:28:29,708 They would try to offer him money and he was appalled. 538 00:28:29,708 --> 00:28:31,042 His integrity was something 539 00:28:31,042 --> 00:28:33,208 that he held very, very dear to him. 540 00:28:34,583 --> 00:28:37,583 - In a sense, what Roy Park was doing is he was creating 541 00:28:37,583 --> 00:28:40,292 a patriotic touch to this pitch. 542 00:28:41,542 --> 00:28:43,750 - [Narrator] Roy Park manages to talk Duncan Hines 543 00:28:43,750 --> 00:28:46,042 into his first product endorsement 544 00:28:46,042 --> 00:28:49,667 on behalf of his client, the farmer's co-op. 545 00:28:49,667 --> 00:28:54,083 - Duncan Hines recognized that his name would be associated 546 00:28:54,083 --> 00:28:56,208 with good food, as it always had been. 547 00:28:57,875 --> 00:29:01,250 - So Roy Park tells his clients, 548 00:29:01,250 --> 00:29:04,958 "I've just struck up a partnership with Duncan Hines. 549 00:29:04,958 --> 00:29:07,375 Let's work together." 550 00:29:07,375 --> 00:29:08,792 And they're not interested. 551 00:29:11,875 --> 00:29:13,708 But he's got Duncan Hines. 552 00:29:13,708 --> 00:29:16,208 How on earth could they not be interested? 553 00:29:16,208 --> 00:29:19,125 It's Duncan fricking Hines! [hands slap three times] 554 00:29:21,417 --> 00:29:24,833 - [Narrator] And Park knows it's the perfect time to strike. 555 00:29:26,792 --> 00:29:29,708 [dramatic music] 556 00:29:31,375 --> 00:29:34,792 Over at General Mills, the fate of the Betty Crocker brand 557 00:29:34,792 --> 00:29:36,083 hangs in the balance. 558 00:29:37,417 --> 00:29:39,750 - They were just about to launch the cake mix and the brand 559 00:29:39,750 --> 00:29:41,625 when the Fortune Magazine scandal broke. 560 00:29:41,625 --> 00:29:42,917 So now they're waiting to see 561 00:29:42,917 --> 00:29:44,875 what the public reaction's gonna be. 562 00:29:50,708 --> 00:29:52,833 - What's this? Hate mail to Betty? 563 00:29:54,792 --> 00:29:57,875 [suspenseful music] 564 00:30:00,708 --> 00:30:04,333 - Betty Crocker was not a real person, 565 00:30:04,333 --> 00:30:07,708 but she had a heart and she had a soul. 566 00:30:07,708 --> 00:30:11,792 Overall, people just accepted that she seemed real enough. 567 00:30:11,792 --> 00:30:13,958 You gotta see this. 568 00:30:13,958 --> 00:30:15,708 - Everyone in America knew Betty Crocker 569 00:30:15,708 --> 00:30:18,000 was basically a fake, 570 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:21,292 but America and its women stood by her to the end. 571 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:28,083 - [Narrator] In 1947, Betty Crocker's boxed ginger cake mix 572 00:30:28,083 --> 00:30:31,542 hits store shelves, requiring nothing more 573 00:30:31,542 --> 00:30:33,458 than a square pan and water. 574 00:30:35,042 --> 00:30:39,042 The mix delivers on its promise for a quick and easy cake. 575 00:30:41,708 --> 00:30:43,792 - The impact of cake mix on the American 576 00:30:43,792 --> 00:30:45,375 kitchen was enormous. 577 00:30:45,375 --> 00:30:48,125 It became absolutely clear that it was going 578 00:30:48,125 --> 00:30:52,708 to have a big effect on how we think about cake 579 00:30:52,708 --> 00:30:54,958 and how we think about baking. 580 00:30:54,958 --> 00:30:58,083 - [Narrator] General Mills sells more than 50 million boxes 581 00:30:58,083 --> 00:30:59,875 within the first year. 582 00:31:01,042 --> 00:31:03,750 - It put baking, this incredibly difficult, 583 00:31:03,750 --> 00:31:06,167 incredibly time- intensive science 584 00:31:06,167 --> 00:31:08,250 in the hands of everybody, 585 00:31:08,250 --> 00:31:12,500 because everybody can just add water to a cake mix. 586 00:31:12,500 --> 00:31:16,375 - Betty Crocker is the undisputed queen of the kitchen. 587 00:31:17,417 --> 00:31:19,333 - [Narrator] But she might not be for long, 588 00:31:19,333 --> 00:31:22,583 when another trusted name in food enters the game. 589 00:31:30,917 --> 00:31:34,125 - Directly across the Mississippi from General Mills 590 00:31:34,125 --> 00:31:38,167 sits their Gold Medal flour brand's largest rival. 591 00:31:38,167 --> 00:31:42,708 - Pillsbury was the other big flour company in Minneapolis. 592 00:31:42,708 --> 00:31:46,333 They always kind of went head to head with General Mills. 593 00:31:46,333 --> 00:31:49,042 - Pillsbury comes along and says, 594 00:31:49,042 --> 00:31:50,875 "Oh, we've got a cake for you." 595 00:31:52,208 --> 00:31:55,042 - [Narrator] In 1948, Pillsbury introduces 596 00:31:55,042 --> 00:31:58,125 the first chocolate- flavored boxed cake mix. 597 00:31:59,792 --> 00:32:03,125 - And now home cooks have this choice. 598 00:32:03,125 --> 00:32:05,125 Should we go ginger, a classic, 599 00:32:05,125 --> 00:32:07,667 or should we make a chocolate cake? 600 00:32:07,667 --> 00:32:10,667 - And no matter how much you love Betty Crocker, 601 00:32:10,667 --> 00:32:12,042 let's be real. 602 00:32:12,042 --> 00:32:14,417 It's chocolate cake versus ginger cake. 603 00:32:16,375 --> 00:32:18,292 [dramatic music] 604 00:32:18,292 --> 00:32:20,375 - [Narrator] Pillsbury's chocolate cake mix 605 00:32:20,375 --> 00:32:21,417 is an instant hit. 606 00:32:23,042 --> 00:32:26,708 - Chocolate still has this air of luxury and decadence. 607 00:32:26,708 --> 00:32:30,042 It's something for special occasions, to be savored. 608 00:32:31,083 --> 00:32:32,625 - [Narrator] Not to be outdone, 609 00:32:32,625 --> 00:32:35,625 Betty Crocker follows with their own chocolate cake mix, 610 00:32:35,625 --> 00:32:37,000 as well as vanilla. 611 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,000 [dramatic music] 612 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:43,792 While consumers loved the convenience 613 00:32:43,792 --> 00:32:46,083 of Betty Crocker and Pillsbury's mixes, 614 00:32:46,083 --> 00:32:49,333 there are complaints about texture and moisture. 615 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:54,083 - Your cake might wind up very dry. 616 00:32:54,083 --> 00:32:56,375 It might be cracked on top. 617 00:32:56,375 --> 00:32:58,583 It might be a little bit more like sawdust. 618 00:32:59,625 --> 00:33:01,250 - [Narrator] Leaving space in the market 619 00:33:01,250 --> 00:33:03,292 for someone else to do it better. 620 00:33:06,875 --> 00:33:12,000 In 1949, Roy Park pays a surprise visit to Duncan Hines. 621 00:33:13,167 --> 00:33:16,958 - After the farmers decided to abandon his project, 622 00:33:18,375 --> 00:33:22,875 Roy Park said, "Gosh, I can still raise the standards 623 00:33:22,875 --> 00:33:25,708 of quality food in homes all over America 624 00:33:25,708 --> 00:33:28,500 by putting Duncan Hines' name on different products." 625 00:33:29,667 --> 00:33:32,625 - [Narrator] But this time Park has a new proposal. 626 00:33:32,625 --> 00:33:35,500 - It's not the same bill of goods I sold you on. 627 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:38,625 And my client's out, but we can do the same thing together. 628 00:33:39,917 --> 00:33:41,708 Just gimme a moment to explain. 629 00:33:43,208 --> 00:33:46,500 - [Narrator] Park hones in on the boxed cake mix market. 630 00:33:46,500 --> 00:33:47,333 - With respect, 631 00:33:48,917 --> 00:33:51,208 we talked about quality foods. 632 00:33:51,208 --> 00:33:54,000 You're talking about boxed cake mix. 633 00:33:55,542 --> 00:33:56,875 You can forget it. 634 00:33:56,875 --> 00:33:59,000 - We can make a better one. 635 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:02,167 [suspenseful music] 636 00:34:02,167 --> 00:34:06,958 Look, what if I said you could have final approval 637 00:34:06,958 --> 00:34:08,667 over any product that bears your name? 638 00:34:11,542 --> 00:34:14,667 Just gimme six months. That's all I need. 639 00:34:14,667 --> 00:34:18,208 If we don't have a product you approve of within six months, 640 00:34:18,208 --> 00:34:20,292 the deal's over, then you can walk away. 641 00:34:21,708 --> 00:34:23,125 - [Narrator] Hines agrees. 642 00:34:23,125 --> 00:34:26,292 But now Park needs to deliver an impressive boxed cake 643 00:34:26,292 --> 00:34:28,333 recipe in six months, 644 00:34:28,333 --> 00:34:31,167 when Betty Crocker's took years to perfect. 645 00:34:36,667 --> 00:34:38,458 It's now 1950, 646 00:34:38,458 --> 00:34:41,625 and Roy Park has recruited highly-renowned food technician, 647 00:34:41,625 --> 00:34:45,250 Arlee Andre to come up with a boxed cake recipe 648 00:34:45,250 --> 00:34:47,292 that Duncan Hines will approve. 649 00:34:50,042 --> 00:34:52,208 - Park pretty much has all of his eggs 650 00:34:52,208 --> 00:34:53,458 in one basket at this point. 651 00:34:53,458 --> 00:34:55,333 Everything has to work with Duncan Hines 652 00:34:55,333 --> 00:34:57,167 or he's left with nothing. 653 00:34:59,667 --> 00:35:02,583 [suspenseful music] 654 00:35:04,583 --> 00:35:07,292 - Duncan Hines is gonna be looking at the rise of the cake, 655 00:35:07,292 --> 00:35:10,208 the presentation, the taste, and the moisture. 656 00:35:11,500 --> 00:35:13,708 And he's not settling for anything less 657 00:35:13,708 --> 00:35:15,208 than culinary excellence. 658 00:35:19,750 --> 00:35:21,708 - [Narrator] Hines doesn't find any of the cakes 659 00:35:21,708 --> 00:35:24,333 to be good enough for him to put his name on. 660 00:35:25,708 --> 00:35:28,042 - Andre is feeling he's in a no-win situation. 661 00:35:28,042 --> 00:35:30,542 Nothing he comes up with is good enough, 662 00:35:30,542 --> 00:35:33,333 - [Narrator] But Park's not ready to give up. 663 00:35:33,333 --> 00:35:37,750 - 16 different recipes. I am out of ideas. 664 00:35:37,750 --> 00:35:41,458 It's powdered cake mix. 665 00:35:41,458 --> 00:35:44,083 It's not like you can just put the eggs in a box. 666 00:35:47,375 --> 00:35:50,792 - Why can't women add the eggs themselves at home? 667 00:35:54,208 --> 00:35:56,750 - Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose? 668 00:35:56,750 --> 00:35:59,208 Don't women buy this stuff because of the convenience? 669 00:35:59,208 --> 00:36:01,625 - Women will buy this stuff because Duncan Hines 670 00:36:01,625 --> 00:36:03,542 says it's the best cake mix there is. 671 00:36:03,542 --> 00:36:06,125 - Roy Park is literally freaking out, 672 00:36:06,125 --> 00:36:09,750 because until Duncan Hines approves something, 673 00:36:09,750 --> 00:36:10,792 they don't have a deal. 674 00:36:13,708 --> 00:36:15,417 - Just try the real eggs. 675 00:36:23,542 --> 00:36:25,708 - [Narrator] For Arlee Andre, the pressure is mounting 676 00:36:25,708 --> 00:36:28,625 to create a cake mix that Duncan Hines will approve, 677 00:36:28,625 --> 00:36:31,458 so he and Roy Park decide to go against 678 00:36:31,458 --> 00:36:33,250 the current convenience trend. 679 00:36:34,417 --> 00:36:37,500 - And whereas Betty Crocker's mix was just add water, 680 00:36:37,500 --> 00:36:40,042 Duncan Hines alters his recipe such 681 00:36:40,042 --> 00:36:44,917 that the home baker would have to crack in two fresh eggs. 682 00:36:44,917 --> 00:36:46,250 - The truth of the matter is 683 00:36:46,250 --> 00:36:50,083 that fresh eggs taste better than dried eggs, 684 00:36:50,083 --> 00:36:53,167 and the idea is your cake is higher 685 00:36:53,167 --> 00:36:56,208 and lighter and tastier. 686 00:36:56,208 --> 00:36:58,083 - [Narrator] After nearly a full six months 687 00:36:58,083 --> 00:37:00,333 of trial and error, Duncan Hines 688 00:37:00,333 --> 00:37:02,625 finally approves a boxed cake recipe. 689 00:37:04,208 --> 00:37:06,458 It's a devil's food cake. 690 00:37:06,458 --> 00:37:07,708 - Straight down the barrel. 691 00:37:07,708 --> 00:37:09,958 Three, two, one. 692 00:37:09,958 --> 00:37:14,458 - [Narrator] In 1952, Duncan Hines' first cake in a box 693 00:37:14,458 --> 00:37:16,625 hits store shelves. 694 00:37:16,625 --> 00:37:19,375 Each box is stamped with his signature, 695 00:37:19,375 --> 00:37:22,417 one that becomes an American icon. 696 00:37:22,417 --> 00:37:25,000 - If Duncan Hines said this was good, 697 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:26,792 that's all they needed to know. 698 00:37:26,792 --> 00:37:29,542 They had a hard time keeping the shelves filled 699 00:37:29,542 --> 00:37:32,000 in grocery stores all over the country. 700 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:33,792 - The plot twist here is that women 701 00:37:33,792 --> 00:37:36,708 actually preferred cracking and mixing in the eggs. 702 00:37:36,708 --> 00:37:39,708 It makes them feel like they're making a cake from scratch 703 00:37:39,708 --> 00:37:43,250 and less like they're cheating or taking a shortcut. 704 00:37:43,250 --> 00:37:46,000 - It makes someone who isn't a baker, 705 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:47,625 who is afraid of cooking, 706 00:37:47,625 --> 00:37:51,000 feel like they have a bit of culinary skin in the game. 707 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,375 - Because of his name, 708 00:37:52,375 --> 00:37:55,042 and because there was a quality difference, 709 00:37:55,042 --> 00:37:59,208 Duncan Hines made his way into the top tier of sales. 710 00:37:59,208 --> 00:38:02,167 - Their cakes have a lot more flavor 711 00:38:02,167 --> 00:38:05,375 and they taste less like a cake mix 712 00:38:05,375 --> 00:38:09,583 and more like a nice buttery homemade cake. 713 00:38:09,583 --> 00:38:14,000 - [Narrator] Within three weeks, Duncan Hines captures 48% 714 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:15,167 of the cake mix market, 715 00:38:15,167 --> 00:38:17,833 previously dominated by Betty Crocker. 716 00:38:20,333 --> 00:38:21,667 [dramatic music] 717 00:38:21,667 --> 00:38:23,917 Determined to keep their cake brand on top, 718 00:38:23,917 --> 00:38:26,958 the Betty Crocker team studies Hines' cake, 719 00:38:26,958 --> 00:38:29,667 hoping to come up with something that can beat it. 720 00:38:32,042 --> 00:38:33,417 - It's good. 721 00:38:35,250 --> 00:38:36,958 It's really good. 722 00:38:38,708 --> 00:38:40,667 - Duncan Hines just jumped into the game 723 00:38:40,667 --> 00:38:43,833 and left the industry reeling. 724 00:38:46,042 --> 00:38:49,833 [suspenseful music] 725 00:38:52,833 --> 00:38:56,208 - But honestly, it's mainly the frosting 726 00:38:56,208 --> 00:38:57,292 that makes it taste so good. 727 00:38:57,292 --> 00:38:58,917 - Sam, that's it. 728 00:38:58,917 --> 00:39:01,833 [suspenseful music] 729 00:39:03,875 --> 00:39:05,375 - What? 730 00:39:05,375 --> 00:39:06,833 - [Narrator] Marjorie Hustead just figured out 731 00:39:06,833 --> 00:39:09,458 what the boxed cake market is missing. 732 00:39:11,250 --> 00:39:14,458 - Frosting. [dramatic music] 733 00:39:18,542 --> 00:39:22,042 - [Narrator] In 1954, the team at Betty Crocker fights back 734 00:39:22,042 --> 00:39:24,208 with a groundbreaking product. 735 00:39:24,208 --> 00:39:27,042 [dramatic music] 736 00:39:27,042 --> 00:39:31,375 The very first cake in a box to include ready-made frosting. 737 00:39:33,708 --> 00:39:36,000 They call it the answer cake. 738 00:39:38,875 --> 00:39:40,417 - You might wonder what the question was, 739 00:39:40,417 --> 00:39:45,250 but it was really an answer to a complete cake. 740 00:39:45,250 --> 00:39:47,708 - It was literally the full package. 741 00:39:47,708 --> 00:39:49,417 It came with the cake mix, 742 00:39:49,417 --> 00:39:51,583 it came with the cake pan that you bake it in, 743 00:39:51,583 --> 00:39:54,667 and it came with some just-add-water frosting. 744 00:39:56,875 --> 00:39:58,792 - [Narrator] Betty Crocker will also release 745 00:39:58,792 --> 00:40:01,000 a whipped version of the frosting, 746 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,917 another innovation that galvanizes sales 747 00:40:03,917 --> 00:40:06,042 to the tune of $80 million a year. 748 00:40:07,375 --> 00:40:10,458 [dramatic music] 749 00:40:10,458 --> 00:40:13,042 - And frosting, by the way, is not easy to make. 750 00:40:13,042 --> 00:40:16,875 You have to perfectly incorporate the sugar 751 00:40:16,875 --> 00:40:19,542 into some kind of shortening or butter. 752 00:40:19,542 --> 00:40:21,458 Then you have to add flavor. 753 00:40:21,458 --> 00:40:23,042 It has to be able to be whipped. 754 00:40:23,042 --> 00:40:27,083 You don't want it to just sort of be ambiguous blobs of fat. 755 00:40:27,083 --> 00:40:30,042 It has to have balance, and it's not really easy. 756 00:40:33,833 --> 00:40:35,333 - [Narrator] Betty Crocker frosting 757 00:40:35,333 --> 00:40:38,542 turned an instant cake into a showstopper. 758 00:40:38,542 --> 00:40:43,167 One affordable enough to make for any occasion. 759 00:40:43,167 --> 00:40:45,792 [gentle music] 760 00:40:47,458 --> 00:40:49,458 - This really opened the floodgates 761 00:40:49,458 --> 00:40:51,667 to the next level of home baking 762 00:40:52,875 --> 00:40:55,875 - Cake mixes had become kind of run of the mill. 763 00:40:55,875 --> 00:40:58,833 They were not personal, they were not sentimental. 764 00:41:00,042 --> 00:41:04,833 But once you added decorating, once you added frosting, 765 00:41:06,333 --> 00:41:09,208 once you set the whole cake up to look like a football field 766 00:41:09,208 --> 00:41:13,417 and put little peppermint sticks to be the goal post, 767 00:41:13,417 --> 00:41:15,375 you could do all these things. 768 00:41:15,375 --> 00:41:17,958 Then it was yours, then it was the real cake. 769 00:41:19,875 --> 00:41:22,458 - Suddenly, you could make a birthday cake. 770 00:41:22,458 --> 00:41:23,792 You can make a wedding cake. 771 00:41:23,792 --> 00:41:25,583 You know you can make any kinda cake you want. 772 00:41:27,042 --> 00:41:32,042 - The round frosted layer cake became the icon 773 00:41:32,917 --> 00:41:35,125 of a cake in the Betty Crocker era. 774 00:41:36,583 --> 00:41:39,125 That became the American cake. 775 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:43,083 - [Narrator] Today, Betty Crocker is still 776 00:41:43,083 --> 00:41:44,708 the leading name in cake mix 777 00:41:44,708 --> 00:41:48,875 with annual revenues of $337 million. 778 00:41:50,250 --> 00:41:52,500 And Duncan Hines is a close second with annual revenues 779 00:41:52,500 --> 00:41:54,542 around 260 million. 780 00:41:56,042 --> 00:41:59,917 - The joy of baking, the joy of baking with family 781 00:41:59,917 --> 00:42:03,958 is now something that every family can share. 782 00:42:03,958 --> 00:42:07,875 - To bake a cake from scratch no longer means 783 00:42:07,875 --> 00:42:10,292 that you take out the flour, you take out the sugar, 784 00:42:10,292 --> 00:42:12,042 and you measure the baking powder. 785 00:42:12,042 --> 00:42:14,917 It means you open a box. 786 00:42:14,917 --> 00:42:19,083 So cake mix crossed over and became the real thing. 787 00:42:19,083 --> 00:42:22,750 It's a remarkable victory on the part of the food industry.