The Sneaky Way Nabisco Marketed Graham Crackers During The Great Depression - Tasting Table

"During the Great Depression, the National Biscuit Company (known these days as Nabisco) wanted to encourage people to keep buying graham crackers as household budgets shrank, and grocery purchases had to become more selective. To do this, the company developed a concept called "cracker cookery," running newspaper ads to spread the word on the versatility of graham crackers. These ads were essentially editorials, but they came across as almost "scientific" know-how to encourage folks to use the crackers."

"Graham cracker crusts started out as marketing, but were tasty enough to endure Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock Even if the marketing campaign grew from mixed intentions, Nabisco wasn't wrong - making crusts is one of the tastiest ways to use graham crackers. We're less sold on the fake apple pie with Ritz crackers, but a good graham cracker crust can be the game-changing upgrade for a Key lime pie."

Nabisco promoted graham crackers during the Great Depression by creating "cracker cookery" and publishing recipes in newspaper ads to show their versatility. The campaign encouraged pulverizing graham crackers into a quick pie crust that required no flour or sugar, helping households stretch budgets while increasing product use. The company applied the same approach to Ritz crackers by printing a mock apple pie recipe on boxes to mimic apple pie without apples. The graham cracker crust proved flavorful and durable, becoming a lasting choice for pies like Key lime pie and a pantry staple.

Read at Tasting Table