Cracker Jack...Cracker Jacks? It really doesn't matter what you call them, these 'caramel coated popcorn and peanuts' are good. My friends and I would often buy these not only for a snack but more importantly for the prize that was inside. Oftentimes it would be a ring or tattoo or a plastic car- nothing much but something that I would prize at the time (for about 2 minutes).Reading the history of the Cracker Jack snack was very interesting. For instance, this product was invented by a pair of German immigrants. Frederick William Rueckheim and his brother Louis developed the product and first sold it at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. The prizes that are found in every box were added in 1912.
The advertising of Cracker Jack, as with every other product, has evolved quite a bit over time. Take a look at this commercial that ran back in the 60's and starred comedian Jack Gilford:
