Tupperware Brands TUP.N filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, after years of struggling with poor demand for its food storage containers and rising financial losses. READ: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as its colorful containers lose relevance Here’s a look at some of the key moments in the journey of the brand that was once the mainstay of American kitchens: 1940’s The company is named after chemist Earl Tupper, who invented the plastic containers from waste polyethylene slag generated from the oil refining process at DuPont’s factory.
Mass-produced in myriad colors after the Great Depression to help war-weary families save money on food waste, the designs do not sell at department stores. Brownie Wise, an advice columnist, collaborates with Tupper to shift to a “party plan” marketing strategy by holding Patio Parties where she recruited women to sell for her, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Wise’s strategy boosts Tupperware’s popularity.
One woman she recruited sells 56 bowls in one week, according to the magazine. 1950’s Wise, the creator of the Tupperware party, is made vice-president of marketing for Tupperware Parties Inc. Tupper patents the “Tupper Seal”, which refers to the airtight and leak-proof nature of its container lids that kept food leftovers fresh.
However, in 1958 after gaining success, Tupper decides to sell the business to Rexall Drugs, now Dart Industries, for $16 million and fired Wise. 1960’s Tupperware’s new owner exp.