One of the most famous U.S. food-product brands, Betty Crocker, is symbolized by the smiling face of a young homemaker. Her picture, together with a trademarked logo of a red spoon, appears on more than two hundred items manufactured by General Mills, ranging from Hamburger Helper to cake mixes, dessert products, and snacks. The Betty Crocker brand name accounts for $1.5 billion in sales annually, nearly one-third of all General Mills sales.

The Betty Crocker name originated in 1921 when Washburn Crosby Company, an earlier name for General Mills, created the image as a way of personalizing its products and services. It was chosen by advertising manager James A. Quint, who selected "Betty" because it was considered a friendly nickname and "Crocker" as a tribute to William Crocker (1876–1950), a retired General Mills executive. The Betty Crocker brand first appeared on a food product in 1947, when General Mills...