Squirrel

Squirrel was a Canadian peanut-butter brand with origins in Vancouver and a commercial life spanning most of the twentieth century. It was introduced in 1915 by Canada Nut Co. Ltd. and initially sold principally in Western Canada. The brand later became associated with Squirrel Brand Products, a subsidiary established by Canada Nut Co. for its peanut-related products around 1931. Its early identity was built around peanut butter made for the Canadian grocery market and a distinctive product presentation: a whole peanut placed on top of the spread inside a newly opened jar. This feature supported the long-running advertising line “The One With the Peanut on Top!” and gave the product a visible point of difference in a category otherwise dominated by similar jars of processed peanut spread. Canada Nut Co. was acquired in 1944 by Kelly, Douglas & Co., a Vancouver food wholesaler. Kelly, Douglas continued using the former Canada Nut name in connection with the brand. Squirrel’s manufacturing footprint expanded in 1958 when a second plant opened in Ajax, in the Toronto area. By 1959, the brand was distributed nationally through Nabob Foods Limited, the Kelly, Douglas division responsible for the product’s broader Canadian marketing. Kelly, Douglas was linked to George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies, placing Squirrel within an increasingly consolidated Canadian food-business structure. Ownership and corporate control changed repeatedly during the following decades. In 1975, George Weston sold its 81 percent interest in Kelly, Douglas to Loblaws. Nabob Foods became a wholly owned subsidiary of Swiss company Jacobs Suchard AG in 1976. In 1981, Nabob sold the Squirrel brand to Canada Packers Inc., allowing Nabob to concentrate more heavily on coffee while Canada Packers assumed responsibility for the peanut-butter business. In 1990, Canada Packers sold that business to a subsidiary of CPC International. Production continued in Canada alongside CPC’s Skippy peanut butter at a Montreal facility operated by Best Foods Canada, a subsidiary of CPC’s Canadian starch operation. CPC International separated into Bestfoods Corp. and Corn Products International in 1997. Unilever acquired Bestfoods in 2000 and thereby obtained Squirrel in the Canadian market. Rather than maintain both brands, Unilever discontinued Squirrel and concentrated on Skippy. The Squirrel name therefore disappeared from regular commercial marketing around 2000, despite its substantially longer history in Canada. Unilever briefly adapted the Skippy identity in Canada as “Skippy the Squirrel,” using a squirrel illustration, but this was a rebranding of Skippy rather than a continuation of the original Squirrel brand. Skippy itself was later withdrawn from Canada in 2017. Squirrel’s marketing history included promotional “peanut points,” which consumers could collect and exchange for prizes. In British Columbia during the early 1960s, Nabob used BC Lions football player Joe Kapp in advertising for the brand; the association contributed to Kapp’s nickname, “Peanut butter Joe.” The brand’s best-known visual device remained the peanut on top, which was removed when the product was replaced by Skippy. Squirrel was a regional-to-national Canadian grocery brand whose historical significance lies in its longevity, recognizable packaging, and successive passage through several major food-company ownership structures.

Squirrel originated in 1915 with Canada Nut Co. Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia. For at least its first quarter-century, the brand was sold mainly in Western Canada. Around 1931, Canada Nut established Squirrel Brand Products as a subsidiary for its peanut products, formalizing the brand’s role within the company’s portfolio. In 1944, Vancouver food wholesaler Kelly, Douglas & Co. acquired Canada Nut. The new owner retained the Canada Nut identity in connection with Squirrel and continued developing the brand’s distribution. A second manufacturing plant opened in Ajax, near Toronto, in 1958. By the following year, Nabob Foods Limited, Kelly, Douglas’s operating division, was distributing Squirrel throughout Canada. This represented a transition from a principally Western Canadian product to a national grocery brand. The brand’s ownership then followed the consolidation of the Canadian food industry. In 1975, George Weston Limited sold its 81 percent interest in Kelly, Douglas to Loblaws. Nabob Foods became wholly owned by Jacobs Suchard AG in 1976. In June 1981, Nabob sold Squirrel to Canada Packers, separating the peanut-butter business from Nabob’s increasing emphasis on coffee. Canada Packers sold the peanut-butter operation in December 1990 to a subsidiary of CPC International. CPC continued manufacturing Squirrel and Skippy at a Montreal plant operated by Best Foods Canada. In 1997, CPC International divided its operations between Bestfoods Corp. and Corn Products International. Unilever acquired Bestfoods in June 2000. After the acquisition, Unilever retired Squirrel in Canada and focused on Skippy, ending the original brand’s commercial run after approximately 85 years. Squirrel was recognized for a whole peanut placed on top of the peanut butter when the jar was first opened. The feature was promoted through the line “The One With the Peanut on Top!” and was supported by a brown squirrel mascot, generally shown wearing a green sweater. The brand also operated a “peanut points” promotion through which consumers could collect points and redeem them for prizes. In the early 1960s, Nabob used BC Lions football player Joe Kapp in Squirrel advertising in British Columbia, helping establish his “Peanut butter Joe” nickname. The peanut-on-top feature was not retained when the product was replaced by Skippy. Unilever temporarily marketed Skippy in Canada as “Skippy the Squirrel,” but that product was a Skippy variant rather than a revival of Squirrel.

• 2000

  Squirrel is discontinued

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  Unilever’s acquisition of Bestfoods leads to the retirement of Squirrel in favor of Skippy in Canada.

• 1990

  CPC International acquires the peanut-butter operation

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  Canada Packers transfers its peanut-butter business, including Squirrel, to a CPC International subsidiary.

• 1981

  Canada Packers acquires Squirrel

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  Nabob Foods sells the peanut-butter brand to Canada Packers.

• 1976

  Nabob becomes a Jacobs Suchard subsidiary

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  Nabob Foods becomes wholly owned by Jacobs Suchard AG.

• 1975

  Loblaws obtains control of Kelly, Douglas

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  George Weston sells its 81 percent interest in Kelly, Douglas to Loblaws.

• 1959

  National Canadian distribution

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  Nabob Foods begins marketing Squirrel across Canada.

• 1958

  Ajax production plant opens

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  A second plant opens in the Toronto area, expanding the brand’s production capacity.

• 1944

  Kelly, Douglas acquires Canada Nut

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  The Vancouver wholesaler acquires Canada Nut and continues selling Squirrel.

• 1931

  Squirrel Brand Products is established

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  Canada Nut creates a subsidiary for its peanut products, giving Squirrel a dedicated corporate vehicle.

• 1915

  Canada Nut introduces Squirrel

  [1]Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org

  Canada Nut Co. Ltd. begins marketing Squirrel peanut butter from Vancouver, initially concentrating on Western Canada.

A long-established Canadian peanut-butter brand differentiated by its visible whole-peanut-on-top feature, family-oriented promotions, and broad national grocery distribution.

• Peanut butter · 1915

  Squirrel Peanut Butter

  The brand’s principal and apparently defining product was peanut butter sold in Canadian grocery channels. Its signature presentation placed one whole peanut on top of the spread inside a newly opened jar, creating a visible product cue that supported the slogan “The One With the Peanut on Top!” Squirrel was manufactured at facilities associated with Canada Nut, including a later plant in Ajax, and subsequently at a Montreal facility shared with Skippy production. The original product was discontinued around 2000.

• 1960Joe Kapp “Peanut butter Joe” advertising

  British Columbia

  Nabob used BC Lions football player Joe Kapp to promote Squirrel in British Columbia during the early 1960s. The association helped popularize Kapp’s “Peanut butter Joe” nickname.

  Outcome. The campaign linked the brand with a prominent regional sports figure and contributed to Kapp’s public nickname.

  Source
• The One With the Peanut on Top

  Canada

  Squirrel built its product identity around placing a whole peanut on top of the peanut butter and promoted the feature with this slogan.

  Outcome. The peanut-on-top device became the brand’s most recognizable product characteristic until it was removed in the later Skippy replacement.

  Source
• Peanut Points

  Canada

  The brand offered a consumer-promotion scheme in which buyers collected peanut points and exchanged them for prizes.

  Outcome. The promotion encouraged repeat purchasing and reinforced Squirrel’s family-oriented grocery positioning.

  Source

• 2000

  Unilever replaces Squirrel with SkippyStrategy

  Background

  Unilever acquired Bestfoods and obtained the Squirrel brand in Canada, where Squirrel and Skippy occupied the same peanut-butter category.

  Action taken

  Unilever discontinued Squirrel and marketed only Skippy after the acquisition.

  Aftermath

  The original Squirrel brand disappeared from the Canadian market. Skippy was temporarily styled “Skippy the Squirrel,” but the Squirrel product and its peanut-on-top feature were not retained.

  Source

• 1981

  Nabob sells Squirrel to Canada PackersM&A

  Background

  Nabob Foods was placing greater emphasis on its coffee business and separated the peanut-butter brand from its portfolio.

  Action taken

  Nabob sold Squirrel to Canada Packers.

  Aftermath

  Squirrel continued as part of Canada Packers’ peanut-butter business until that operation was sold to CPC International in 1990.

  Source

1. 1Squirrel (peanut butter)en.wikipedia.org