The History of Slush Puppies: The American Dream?

The History of Slush Puppies: The American Dream?

Although most of us can’t envision a time before Slush Puppies were an American icon, they actually weren’t a “thing” until 1970. The first introduction of the Slush Puppie was at a Chicago trade show, when Will Radcliff discovered the machine designed by Stoelting; it had been available for sale for decades, but due to a lack of marketing or any kind of name recognition, the slush machine sat idle and unappreciated. Radcliff, a peanut salesman, saw the potential for slush to be as American as apple pie, so he took on the Slush Puppie and made it a household name.

Radcliff turned to his mom and sister for suggestions, and they thought up potential names. The group of three wrote down a possible combination of names on a brown paper bag while finishing off a case of beer. That is when the picture of the dog, which is now the symbol of a Slush Puppie, was first drawn out. Once they had a vision, a name, and a mascot, Radcliff invested all that he had – just shy of $1,000 – and founded the Slush Puppie company.

Although there was already a niche carved in the market for the ICEE, the Slush Puppie was different. One major difference was that the Slush Puppie, unlike the ICEE, was not a carbonated drink and it was comprised of syrups that were mixed together first and then frozen to a consistency that was “slushy” – hence why the team came up with the name.

Little did Radcliff know that using a machine which had been around for decades and had never taken off, a brown bag, and a drawing of a mascot dog would turn him into a multimillion-dollar business owner. When the company first started, there were only four flavors: orange, grape, lemon-lime, and cherry. To date, there are now over 40 flavors of Slush Puppies offered around the globe; some are permanent, while others come and go. The biggest addition in recent years was fortified juices that were high in nutrition and vitamins, making consumers feel better about partaking in the sweet treat.

Even if some of the flavors contain natural juice, they are full of sugar and preservatives, along with high fructose corn syrup, with one eight-ounce cup containing as many as 119 calories. That would take the average person about 30 minutes of cardio exercise to work off. But many find it well worth the additional calories to burn. As of 1999, sales of Slush Puppies grew to over $25 million annually.

It isn’t just Americans who enjoy a good Slush Puppie now and then, either. They are available internationally in over 60 nations, and there are currently over 650,000 machines in operation around the globe. In an effort to break into the alcoholic beverage business as well, Radcliff started the Lanikai Frozen Cocktail in the late 80s, which supplies frozen daiquiris and other tasty alcoholic concoctions for adults who are still kids at heart, looking for their Slush Puppie alternative.

In 2000, the Slush Puppie Corporation was bought by Cadbury Schweppes, and then it switched hands again in 2006, purchased by the J&J Snack Food Company, which also owns the ICEE name. Although Slush Puppie machines remain mainly commercial, they are sold to the general population; anyone with over $1,200 to burn who wants to make an authentic Slush Puppie without leaving home can do so.

It just goes to show that a product only needs the right labeling, branding and marketing to make it something big. Even before the internet, a product was built through getting the word out. What Radcliff did for the Slush Puppie name is the American Dream. Building a multi-million dollar corporation from the ground up with just $1,000 in hand, Radcliff owned a private jet, was able to retire at the age of 40, and made a drink which is known and enjoyed globally by people from all walks of life. And that is the story of the Slush Puppie: all it took was a cute dog mascot and some ingenuity to make it an iconic American drink loved by both kids and adults alike.