A Look Back at Tupperware’s Golden Days
In the ’40s, Earl Tupper invented a line of tight-sealing plastic kitchenware. He believed it could help families stay out of the store and eat at home – but his new product needed a sales pitch that appealed to housewives. Enter Brownie Wise, a Detroit housewife who convinced Tupper to hold “Tupperware parties” at her house. Her sales approach was a success. Tupperware became a staple in postwar homes as women who had worked during the war reverted back to being full-time housewives; a baby boom meant that households were getting bigger; and Wise’s sales system offered housewives a rare chance to generate income outside the home.
In ‘Tupperware parties,’ women would gather around a table with a glass of wine or orange juice to see the products firsthand. They’d also swap recipes, and if they wanted to, they could earn a cut of the proceeds or even win a Cadillac or trip to Disney. Wise understood the importance of building community. She ran a newsletter for dealers, praising their successes and spruiking tips for positive thinking. She encouraged her dealers to form a sisterhood that supported each other and was supportive of women who wanted to work.
It’s a sisterhood that lived on after Wise left the company. But with the emergence of newer, cheaper storage options marketed to young people on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Tupperware’s days may be numbered. The company’s shares dropped by almost 50% last week after it told investors that it had substantial doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern.
As the company struggles, FEMAIL takes a look back at Tupperware’s glory days and its iconic “Tupperware parties”.
Tupperware started in 1946 when Earl Tupper designed his first range of airtight plastic containers. He was inspired by the airtight seals used on paint cans and believed that this could be applied to food containers. He patented his products in 1948 and in the ensuing years, he developed a wide range of coloured plastics that were resistant to stains and cracks and easy to clean.
But it was Brownie Wise who really helped the company take off. She realised that potential customers needed to experience the tight-sealing for themselves. So she organised Tupperware parties at home. She’d invite a group of immaculately made-up housewives to her parlour where she’d demonstrate the strength of Tupperware by filling a container with grape juice and hurling it across the living room floor.
This approach was so successful that it lived on, despite the rise of modern technology and other bumps in the road. Tupperware parties are still held to this day, though they’re often confined to online groups on Facebook and Instagram with glossy photoshops of special deals accompanied by emoji-filled captions.
Tupperware’s reputation for quality is still a huge draw, and the brand’s iconic containers are often handed down from mothers to daughters and then traded in at Tupperware parties for newer versions. But as our lives become increasingly cluttered with plastic, many consumers wonder why they should spend more on an item that can be bought at the supermarket for half the price and is unlikely to last a lifetime. Klimaoase