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The Search Is on for the Newest Gerber Baby

(Photo Credit: Mario Tama/ Getty Images)
(Photo Credit: Mario Tama/ Getty Images)

The Gerber Baby is one of the most recognizable babies in the world. Now is your chance to find out if your child is cute enough to be the face of Gerber baby food!

Gerber products with the original Gerber Baby
Gerber product featuring the original Gerber Baby. (Photo Credit: Mario Tama/ Getty Images)

The original Gerber Baby was first introduced in 1928. Within a few weeks, the Gerber Baby mascot had gained national recognition. However, one question stumped the nation – who was this child? Over the years, people have incorrectly guessed the baby to be Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Seymour, and even Senator Bob Dole.

The actual identity of the original Gerber Baby was kept secret for 40 years. In 1978, it was revealed that the model for the original Gerber Baby was a mystery novelist and retired English teacher named Ann Turner Cook. Cook’s neighbor, Dorothy Hope Smith, drew the sketch of the original Gerber Baby, which was based on Cook as a child.

Gerber products circa 1979
Gerber products on the shelf, circa 1979. (Photo Credit: Bill Peters/ Getty Images)

In 2010, Gerber decided to look for a new Gerber Baby. The contest has been held each year since then. Since the competition started over a decade ago, the Gerber Photo Search has seen several significant milestones.

In 2018, Gerber selected a baby affected with Down syndrome for its marketing campaign. In 2019, Gerber selected the first baby of Hmong descent. And the 2020 winner was the first adopted Gerber Baby.

Gerber advertisements from 1945
Gerber advertisement circa 1945. (Photo Credit: Modern Screen, July 1945/ Wikimedia Commons via Public Domain)

The competition for the 2023 Gerber Baby is open from Monday, April 4 to Thursday, April 14, 2022. Children aged 0-4 are eligible to enter the competition. This year’s prize package includes $25,000 cash, Gerber products, and a marketing campaign that features your child’s face. Gerber also announced that “additional surprise perks for our Chief Growing Officer will be announced in the near future.”

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Gerber will also match the winner’s cash prize with a $25,000 donation to the nonprofit March of Dimes’ maternal and infant health programs for the first time. Parents are encouraged to submit their child’s “smiliest” photos and videos to the Gerber portal by Thursday, April 14, 2022.

Madeline Hiltz

Maddy Hiltz is someone who loves all things history. She received her Bachelors of Arts in history and her Master’s of Arts degree in history both from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Her thesis examined menstrual education in Victorian England. She is passionate about Princess Diana, the Titanic, the Romanovs, and Egypt amongst other things.

In her spare time, Maddy loves playing volleyball, running, walking, and biking, although when she wants to be lazy she loves to read a good thriller. She loves spending quality time with her friends, family, and puppy Luna!

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