Jif (peanut butter)

Jif is an American brand of peanut butter made by The J.M. Smucker Company, which purchased the brand from Procter & Gamble in 2001.[1] In 1955, Procter & Gamble bought Big Top peanut butter from William T. Young of Kentucky and, in the ensuing years, reformulated and rebranded it to compete with Skippy and Peter Pan. P. & G. named its product Jif, used oils other than peanut oil in its hydrogenation process, and sweetened the recipe, adding sugar and molasses. The original Creamy and Crunchy style Jif peanut butters both debuted in 1958. In 1974, Extra Crunchy Jif was introduced, followed in 1991 by Simply Jif, a peanut butter variant with low sodium and less sugar than regular Jif. Reduced Fat Jif was introduced three years later in 1994.[2] In 2014, Jif Whips was released as the first whipped peanut butter.

Jif
Product typePeanut butter and other nut butter
OwnerThe J.M. Smucker Co.
CountryUnited States
Introduced1958 (1958)
MarketsUnited States, Canada
Previous ownersProcter & Gamble
Tagline"That Jif'ing Good"
Websitewww.jif.com

Since 1981, Jif has been the leading peanut butter brand in the United States.[2]

Advertising

In 1958, the brand rollout in the U.S. involved a heavily publicized house-to-house distribution of free sample jars from special trucks emblazoned with the then Jif mascot, the "Jifaroo", a blue kangaroo. An early slogan was "Jif is never dry; a touch of honey tells you why." Early advertising also emphasized the beveled edge of the jar base, meant to make it easier to get the last bit of Jif out of the corner. For many decades, TV commercials for the product ended with the tagline, "Choosy mothers choose Jif", and, in the 1990s, "Choosy moms choose Jif." From 1998 to 2000, there was a musical jingle that accompanied many Jif ads, which used the lyrics, "Moms like you choose Jif, choose Jif!"[3][4]

In February 2020, Jif announced a planned media campaign that uses the Jif brand to try to settle the GIF/Jif pronunciation debate. The company partnered with Giphy to release a special jar of Jif peanut butter that replaces the classic Jif branding on the label with 'Gif.' The advertisement tries to settle the debate by showing two jars of peanut butter with the labels Jif and Gif, with the implication of pronouncing GIF with a "hard G".[5]

Production
Jif production plant, Lexington

There are 10 different kinds of Jif Peanut Butter:[6]

  • Creamy
  • Extra Crunchy
  • No Sugar Added Creamy
  • Simply Jif Creamy (low sodium and sugar)
  • Omega-3 Creamy
  • Reduced Fat Creamy
  • Natural Creamy
  • Natural Honey Creamy
  • Natural Crunchy
  • Natural Honey Crunchy

Jif is also available in a three-pack and an eight-pack of 1.5-ounce individual servings of Jif peanut butter, sold under the name "Jif to Go". In 2014, Jif introduced a peanut butter-flavored breakfast cereal (manufactured under license by Kellogg's), which met with positive feedback.[7]

On May 7, 2012, Jif announced a new line of hazelnut spreads, to be produced in Chocolate and Mocha Cappuccino flavors.[8]

Jif also makes almond butter and cashew butter.[7] All variants of Jif are produced at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky, which is the largest peanut butter production facility in the world.[9]

References
  1. "J.M. Smucker Announces Stock Deal with P&G for Jif and Crisco". Archived from the original on July 12, 2012.
  2. "About Jif: The History". Pillsbury Company. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  3. Bekah (April 2, 2007). "Bekah's Bits: PB&J Day". Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  4. "TVparty: Commercial Icons of the 60s". Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  5. Valinsky, Jordan (February 25, 2020). "Jif settles the great debate with a GIF peanut butter jar". CNN Business. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  6. "Jif Product Page". www.jif.com. Jif.
  7. "Peanut Butter Products: Flavors and Varieties from Jif". Pillsbury Company. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  8. "Peanut Butter Brand Jif to Launch Line of Hazelnut Spreads". Foodbeast.com. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  9. "Fun Tidbits". The J.M. Smucker Company. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
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