The Gerber baby story
Who's really the baby on the label?
The Gerber baby is perhaps the most recognized baby face in the world. The tousled hair, the bright eyes, the round, pursed lips. So who is this famous baby?
There has been lots of speculation. People polled throughout the United States surmised that the Gerber Baby had to have grown up to become someone famous: Guesses ranged from movie stars Humphrey Bogart and Elizabeth Taylor to Senator Bob Dole. But mystery novelist and retired English teacher Ann Turner Cook knows the real answer. Because she's the real Gerber baby.
The face that launched a brand
The year was 1928, and Gerber was looking for a face for its baby food campaign. Ann Turner Cook, who was clearly an adorable baby, posed for a charcoal sketch done by Dorothy Hope Smith, an artist who specialized in drawing children.
Smith submitted her simple drawing amid stiff competition that included elaborate oil paintings of baby portraits. She offered to finish the sketch if it were accepted. Whether it was the simplicity of the drawing or the cuteness of the baby (or both!), the judges fell in love with the adorable baby face of Ann Turner Cook. In fact, they were so taken with it that Smith didn't have to finish the sketch. They used it just as it was.
And so the Gerber baby made her debut. The illustration soon became so popular that Gerber adopted it as its official trademark in 1931. Since then the Gerber baby has appeared on all Gerber packaging and in every Gerber advertisement, making Ann Turner Cook the world's best-known baby.
New label, same baby!
In December 1996, Gerber unveiled its first new label in more than 40 years. And a grown-up Ann Turner Cook was there to help celebrate. Although GERBER® baby foods were sporting a new look, Mrs. Cook's cherubic face is still a part of the Gerber image and brand—a fact she finds "especially gratifying." After all, her baby face has come to personify Gerber's commitment to happy, healthy babies all over the world.
Do you have a Gerber baby?
We get lots of photos from moms like you with adorable, photogenic babies. Is your baby the next Gerber baby? All the babies in our ads are registered professional models. The first step to get your baby into ads would be to register with a local modeling agency. You may want to check with your local Better Business Bureau to make sure you have chosen a reputable agency.