Welcome to another Sweet Talk Newsletter, in which we recall moments from Stuckey's unique place in American (and road trip) history ...
If you follow baseball, you know that spring training is right around the corner. As fans of the American pastime, Stuckey's has long associated itself with the grand ole game and even used to sponsor our own Little League team, the Candymakers. In fact, Stuckey's once hosted an exhibition game with the great Joe DiMaggio. Read on for details...
Everyone knows Joltin’ Joe as the Yankee hero with a 56-game hitting streak that stands to this day. While baseball was his main claim to fame, DiMaggio had a lucrative post-baseball career as a celebrity spokesman (remember those Mr. Coffee ads?). Which is how the great DiMaggio came to spend several days in Eastman, GA in 1958, coaching the Stuckey's Candymakers.
In 1958, the Yankee Clipper was employed by an industrious businessman named V.H. Monette, at the time the #1 supplier of products – including Stuckey’s pecans and candy — for U.S military exchanges. Monette was a marketing genius. His company was known for two things — Joe DiMaggio and Miss Americas. (Monette employed as many former Miss Americas as he could.) Fun Fact - our founder, W.S. Stuckey, was also fond of using beauty queens to promote our candy, so these two entrepreneurs had a lot in common with their marketing strategies.
Whenever Monette had a big potential new client or a contract coming up for renewal, he’d arrange for DiMaggio or Miss America to pay a visit to the vendor or the military base. We’d love to think that Stuckey’s Pecan Log Rolls helped put a jolt in Joltin’ Joe when he visited our little town ...
What are your plans this spring? We plan on working hard and building the Stuckey's brand name to greatness again. We love the DiMaggio story — including the part about Mr. Monette, who added pizzazz to a product supply business with beauty queens and a baseball hero ... proving that making the ordinary into the extraordinary is the key to success.
Be on the lookout for more great deals (and fun) from us. Thanks for joining us on this journey!
— Stephanie Stuckey