**Hero tin cans containing green peas and cherry jam, from the period between 1900 and 1938.** Swiss National Museum

Conserved values

The lowly tin can became a household staple in the emerging consumer society of the 1950s. And the way tinned foods were advertised gives us an insight into social and cultural change.

Chiara Jehle

Chiara Jehle researched the history of tinned food advertising by the company Hero AG for her Master’s thesis.

The tin can was invented by Frenchman Nicolas Appert in the early 19th century, at the behest of none other than Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon needed non-perishable foods for his army, which is why he promised prize money of 12,000 francs in 1795 to whoever could come up with a method for preserving foodstuffs. Appert was awarded the prize money in 1810 for his heat sterilisation process – then known as ‘appertisation’. The tin can, which was further refined in subsequent decades, was well suited to the military. The food it contained was non-perishable and its compactness made it easy to transport. In the 20th century, too, the tin can proved effective for stockpiling, particularly in politically turbulent times. During the Second World War, the federal government called on the Swiss people to stock up on tin cans in case of emergency. In short, the tin can came into its own in times of crisis. In the emerging post-war consumer society, the canning industry’s sales declined accordingly. Many tinned food manufacturers in Switzerland had to stop production. To stay competitive and set themselves apart from their rivals, manufacturing companies had to adapt to modern consumer needs. Key changes were made, both in the product ranges and in the way they were marketed.

**The Hero canning factory in Lenzburg, 1931.** ETH Library Zurich

Hero, the canning factory set up in Lenzburg in 1886, was particularly successful at this. The company already had a strong foothold in the Swiss market before the Second World War. And in the post-war period, Hero increased its sales almost five-fold. As well as making changes to its product range, Hero mainly altered its advertising strategy, responding to the social and cultural changes of the time.

Preserved fruit and values

Initially, the canning industry’s main selling point was being able to enjoy out-of-season products preserved in tin cans. As early as the 1920s, advertisements promised consumers the opportunity to eat the foods they loved all year round thanks to canning technology. At the same time, heat sterilisation methods for home use emerged. One example is the Weck process, which is still famous today. This method dented the canning industry’s sales, as bemoaned by Hero’s Board of Directors on 6 December 1950. The success of this home heat sterilisation method was attributed to housewives. Heinrich Oswald, who later became director at Knorr Foods AG, wrote a piece in the Frauenblatt on 22 November 1963 about the guilt that housewives would feel if they used convenience foods such as tin cans in their households.

Still, the behavioural researchers see this shift in consumption as being driven by ‘bad conscience’ on the part of housewives, who deep down feel duty bound to prepare homemade meals rather than simply putting convenience foods on the table.

Heinrich Oswald writing in the Frauenblatt on 22 November 1963

Attitudes at the time dictated that a woman should be a housewife, take loving care of her family, and cook from scratch every day. The consumption of industrially processed foodstuffs such as tinned food was diametrically opposed to this ideal.

**Brochure featuring recipes and instructions for Hero products.** Swiss National Museum

Hero devised new advertising to address housewives’ misgivings. Posters and adverts aimed at women were designed to legitimise the use of tinned food. One example is a prominent advertising character known as Frau Erika used by the St. Gallen canning factory, which was taken over by Hero before the Second World War. According to the 1950s advertisements, Frau Erika embodied the perfect housewife. She devotedly cared for her husband and children and always looked immaculate. Using canned foods made Erika a better and more modern housewife. Thanks to canning technology, she was always ready for unannounced visitors – ultimately, she could rely on tinned foods to be able to whip up a tasty meal in minutes. Using canned foods also saved Erika time, which she could devote to other household tasks instead.

**In this 1954 advert, Frau Erika is able to look after her baby and the rest of the family with the help of tinned foods.** Museum Burghalde, Hero collection

In this 1954 advert Frau Erika is seen caring for her newborn. She smiles contentedly at her new baby, although, as the advert says, caring for an infant is expensive and time consuming. “The young mother can barely find time to prepare food for the rest of the family,” it says. The ravioli from St. Gallen offer the solution: by using tinned foods, the typical housewife who Frau Erika is meant to represent can save time for her new baby and put varied meals on the table for her family. In the 1950s, household purchasing decisions were primarily made by women. Meal preparation was also traditionally a woman’s task. Nevertheless, Hero was keen to expand its customer base to include people with little to no experience in the kitchen. The ravioli ad campaign from 1956 therefore specifically targeted a new consumer group: people to whom the convenience aspect would appeal.

**When his wife’s away, the school master attempts to heat up a tin of ravioli in this advertisement from 1956.** Museum Burghalde, Hero collection

One example is this poster from 1956 advertising tinned foods for men who are (temporarily) living alone. The advertising copy states that the school master is a ‘grass widower’, meaning his wife is away often or for long periods. He therefore faces a ‘cooking problem’ in that he has to make his own dinner. From the image it’s clear that the school master is an inept cook, as he tries to heat up a tin can on the stove, and instead of pouring the contents into a saucepan, he places the closed tin can on it directly. He looks quizzically at the onlooker. And yet he still declares resolutely: “Today I’m doing the cooking!”

The Italian holiday straight from a tin

However, Hero not only picked up on social trends in its marketing, it also drew on cultural shifts. The invention of tin cans made it possible to import fruit and vegetables that couldn’t be grown locally. A popular example is tinned pineapple. Although it had previously been possible to preserve pineapple, tinned pineapple only really caught on in the 1950s. It was made popular by German TV chef Clemens Wilmenrod with his Hawaiian toast recipe. It must have been the mix of reliable cheese on toast with the exotic touch of pineapple that made the recipe and thereby tinned pineapple a hit. Yet Hero’s breakthrough in foreign tinned foods in the 1950s didn’t come from pineapple, but from ravioli. The canning manufacturer had ravioli in its range from as early as 1948. It only became a top seller, however, in the mid-1950s when it was marketed as an Italian speciality. This was linked to the fact that from 1950 a growing number of Swiss people could afford to go on holiday to neighbouring Italy. And they associated their holiday memories with Italian food.

**Uncle Otto recalls his holidays in Italy in an advert for Hero Ravioli from 1956.** Museum Burghalde, Hero collection

The connection between Hero Ravioli and holidays in Italy seems to have been particularly impactful in this advertising poster from 1956. In the middle of the poster we see the character Otto. According to the advertising copy, Otto cooks himself something special every Sunday. This Sunday it’s a plate of Hero Ravioli. And what makes this ravioli so special – according to the advert – is the fact that it reminds Otto of his holiday in Italy. Otto's holiday memories are shown in the corner of the advert: with pipe in hand, he sits in a restaurant in an Italian seaside resort as a woman serves him. Incidentally, other Italian products followed ravioli in subsequent years, and an Indian-style curry was even launched in the late 1960s. Hero’s tinned foods and the way they were marketed thus represented a new consumer society in the 1950s. From convenient military commodity to a symbol of modern and fast meal preparation, the tin can has always reflected the needs and ideals of the time. Over the years this has ranged from the role of the housewife and men’s cooking skills (or lack thereof), to emerging prosperity and the Swiss people’s growing taste for travel and holidays. The tin can is therefore more than just a receptacle for preserving – it is a mirror of social change.

Consumer worlds. Focusing on everyday life

20.12.2024 21.04.2025 / National Museum Zurich

From markets to department stores to online: where and how we shop has changed drastically over the past 170 years. And consumption itself is constantly evolving, too. The exhibition draws on pieces from the Swiss National Museum photography and graphic art collection to present eclectic imagery from everyday life.

More of: 20th / 21st century Economy Society Food

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