From
Fast Company:
Over 90 years ago, American Jews celebrated the Passover holiday by
eating matzo and unleavened treats, but when they reached for a beverage
they shunned coffee in favor of tea. It seems there wasn’t a coffee
brand certified kosher for Passover. In 1923, Maxwell House saw an
opportunity and introduced the first kosher for Passover coffee; others
soon followed. Looking to solidify the brand in the minds of Jewish
consumers in the early 1930s, Maxwell House’s ad agency employed an
innovative marketing tactic for the time: branded content.
Well, that’s what we call it today. In fact, Maxwell House decided to
publish a book, specifically a Haggadah, and offer it to customers for
free with the purchase of a can of coffee. (A Haggadah recounts the
Exodus from Egypt, comprised of prayers, songs, and stories which guide
the Passover Seder.) The Maxwell House edition was an instant hit.
Today, it’s the most popular Haggadah in the world, with over 50 million printed. This Haggadah is so ubiquitous that it’s become difficult to find
others. When I went to a Judaica shop in NYC looking to buy a nice set
of Haggadahs, the salesperson suggested I hit the supermarket and pick
up the Maxwell House edition: “They’re really good,” she exclaimed.
Why is it so ubiquitous? Well, they made it easy to get:
Before Maxwell House published its own, consumers purchased many
different versions of Haggadahs. As the number of Seder guests grew,
people needed to purchase or borrow additional books and find the right
match. Maxwell House made it easier to bring family and friends together
year after year with one common text.
That little bit of Passover trivia is brought to you by Folgers (j/k).
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