Peeps is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, although this is actually the anniversary of when the company Just Born bought the brand, not when they first appeared. Peeps have been around since at least the 1920s. And they weren’t alone. There were once many companies that sold sugar-coated marshmallow animals and other shapes, especially at Easter. So how did Peeps manage to survive, when so many other brands of marshmallow chicks and bunnies didn’t? This is the story of Peeps.
0:00 Introduction
0:49 Easter Candy Making
1:55 Original Maker of Peeps
2:28 How Peeps Were Originally Made
3:28 Just Born
3:45 Automating Peeps
5:07 How Peeps Lost Their Wings
6:05 Other Holidays
6:56 Peeps' Peeps
7:47 Final Thoughts & Sources
Sources:
“How Easter Eggs are Made by the Thousand,” The Scientific American, Apr 14, 1906
“A New Industry,” Lancaster Intelligencer, Aug 26, 1908
“Advent of Spring Signs of Times,” Lancaster Intelligencer, Mar 26, 1928
“Industry Plans New Candy Packages,” Clyde C. Hall, The Manufacturing Confectioner, Apr 1949
“Bethlehem-Made Candy Bunnies,” Mark Weber, The Morning Call, Jan 15, 1977
“We’re Soft For Marshmallow Chicks,” Gannett New Service via Chillicothe Gazette, Apr 1, 1988
“Just Born Thrives in Bethlehem as Other Small Candymakers Fade,” Ray Holton, The Morning Call, May 8, 1988
“A Marshmallow Empire,” Susan Ruiz, The Morning Call, Mar 27, 1994
“Purple Peeper Eating,” Patty LaNour Stearns, Night-Ridder Newspapers via The News and Observer, Apr 12, 1995
“Pennsylvania Firm Makes 400 Million Easter Candies,” The Billings Gazette, Apr 15, 1995
“Jeepers Peepers! That Gooey Easter Treat Started Here,” Todd R. Weiss, Lancaster
“Mike & Ike Keeps Up with Times, Becomes No. 1 Seller for Just Born,” Beth W. Orenstein, The Morning Call, May 11, 1997
“Mass-Producing An Easter Tradition,” Joann Loviglio, AP via The Hartfort Courant, Apr 17, 2003
“The Man Behind the Peeps,” Barbara Marshall, Palm Beach Post via the Austin American-Stateman, Mar 31, 2013
“Just Born’s Minions, Peeps Targeting Christmas,” The Morning Call, Dec 12, 2014
“The Father of Peeps,” Jon Harris, The Morning Call, Feb 16, 2019
“Bob Born, Who Brought Marshmallow Peeps to the Masses, Dies at 98,” Clay Risen, The New York Times, Feb 4, 2023