Mountain Dew Question

[Exactly_vague]

Why are there personal names on the bottle. I've seen others, with other names on them. Mine says, "Wade, Greg & Barbara".

Also what circa is this printing? Before or after Pepsi acquired them in 64?

 

[David Fertig]

Early 1940s: Brothers Ally and Barney Hartman, of Hartman Beverage bottle a lithiated-lemon drink used as a personal mixer for hard-liquor bars. They affectionatley call it "Mountain Dew" after Tennessee Mountain Moonshine.

1946: The Hartman brothers add a label to the bottle, featuring a drawing of a hillbilly with a gun and the inscription, misspelled by the artist: "by BARNEY and OLLIE." They take the bottle to a convention in Gatlinburg, Tennessee where they are assured by friends that their product, nothing more than a joke, could turn them a tidy profit. On the way back from the convention the brothers meet Charlie Gordon, of Tri-City Beverage, who is interested in the brothers' drink.

Nov. 12, 1948: The Hartman brothers trademark their label.

1949: Barney Hartman dies.

1950s: During this period, the label on the bottle has its makers' signatures beneath the name Mountain Dew. The gun-happy hillbilly, newly nicknamed Gran' Pappy, becomes the Mountain Dew mascot.

1951: Ally orders green bottles of the first ACL Mountain Dew. The green bottle, in white paint, has a revenuer running from an outhouse as a hillbilly shoots at him. Beneath the Mountain Dew logo, the bottle also reads: "by Barney and Alley." When the bottles arrive they are stashed in a warehouse.

1954: Charles Gordon decides that Tri-City Beverage needs to expand its soft drink choices and contacts Ally Hartman who agrees to sell its first Mountain Dew franchise to Tri-City Beverage.

1955: Mountain Dew becomes available commercially. The very first ACL Mountain Dew bottle reads: "by Charlie - Jim and Bill" (Charlie Gordon, Jim Archer and Bill Kibler)

1955: Hartman Beverage pulls out the bottles stashed in the warehouse back in '51 and begins commercially selling ACL Mountain Dew.

1955: Brothers Richard and Dick, along with Herman and Dean Minges, work out a deal with Ally and begin bottling Mountain Dew at their Fayetteville, NC Pepsi plant. These bottles usually have "by Dean and Dick" beneath the Mountain Dew logo. At this time, Pepsi takes notice of Mountain Dew's potential.

1957: Herman leaves the Fayetteville Pepsi Plant and opens a new one with his dad in Lumberton, NC. They put out their own Mountain Dew bottle with the "by Herman and LL" signature.

Aug. 1957: The Tip Corporation is sold to Ally and four other men, Bill Jones (its current President), RB Minges, Herman Minges and Wythe Hull.

Nov. 30, 1957: Ally Hartman sells the Mountain Dew brand to the Tip Corporation.

1959: Bill Bridgforth becomes plant manager of Tri-City Beverage in Johnson City, Tennessee. He works with Bill Jones to come up with a new flavor they call Tri-City Lemonade.

1960: Bridgforth transfers his Tri-City Lemonade flavor into the Mountain Dew bottles, replacing its 7-up flavor.

1962: Herman Minges transfers the Tri-City Lemonade flavor into the Mountain Dew bottles in hopes of competing against the local brand, SunDrop Cola.

May 29, 1962: Tip Corporation grants its first to the Pepsi-Cola Bottling in Kinston, NC.

Sept. 2, 1964: Pepsi purchases the Tip Corporation, including the rights to Mountain Dew. Up to this point, at least 174 differently named bottles have appeared. This all comes to an end when Pepsi doesn't allow any more names on the label.

1965: Pepsi unveils its "Yahoo Mountain Dew...It'll tickle your innards" campaign. Gran' Pappy the hillbilly stars as its spokesperson, along with his yokel kin.

1970s: Gran' Pappy's popularity goes down and Mountain Dew gets a new image with a wavy logo.

1988: Diet Drew is released.

1993: The "Do the Dew" campaign begins with the Dew Dudes starring in the commercials.

1995: Mountain Dew sponsors the first X-Games.

2001: Mountain Dew Code: Red debuts, as a mixture of classic Dew with "a rush of cherry flavor."

Summer 2003: Mountain Dew LiveWire debuts, a mixture of orange and Dew.

2004: Mountain Dew: Baja Blast debuts only at Taco Bell, with a lime-flavor.

2004: Pitch Black debuts, a Halloween Dew, of dark purple and grape-flavor.

 

[surfaceone]

Hey David,

Very nicely done, sir. Concise history of the brand, but who the heck are "Wade, Greg & Barbara?"

 

[David Fertig]

Well...

I actually copied it off the net, but lost where I got it from. I usually like to cite the source.

My guess is they were the owners or partners or such at a bottling plant.

I don't really collect these, but I come across them from time to time. They are good sellers with the names on.

 

[Exactly_vague]

Thank you so much for the help. My grandfather worked for and owned his own Pepsi truck for quite a few years prior to them going on strike 20 or so years ago. He thought it was before Pepsi purchased them, your info seems to agree with him.

I guess Wade, Greg and Barbara are just going to have to be a mystery for a little while longer!

 

[David Fertig]

Google Mountain Dew. You should be able to find a collector or group that specializes in just Dew. They may be able to answer who these fine people are/were.

 

[Stardust]

Wow, I'm looking for you ~ But check out this one that sold for over $3,700 ~

http://www.antiquebottles.com/soda/
star ~ *

 

[Stardust]

Here's a Mountain Dew Club you can email... they should know and let us know... [8D]

http://www.mountaindewbottles.com/