In the late 1950s and early 1960s, televisions were entering Canadian homes and programming was bringing families together in front of the TV. Dare jumped on board, becoming a sponsor for the popular children’s TV show, “Romper Room”. They also held the license to sell Romper Room cookies in a direct appeal to children, who were increasingly being targeted by marketers.
Advertising campaigns from “Dream Sweet Dare” to “Dare Delicious” feature children enjoying the sweetness of cookies while their mothers appreciate the quality and freshness. The jingle below is featured in several of Dare's early cookie commercials aimed at children.
Dream sweet dare and you will find, cookies sweet of every kind. Dare makes cookies, dreamy cookies, cookies made with you in mind.
In a continuing trend, packaging was important in differentiating the product and allowed Dare to emphasize the benefits of their tin-tie seal. Personal sales also grew in importance and Dare issued comprehensive manuals that included sales and merchandising tactics.
In 1962 Dare Foods built a plant in Surrey, British Columbia to better serve their Western markets. They opened a sales office in Montreal to serve their French consumers and expanded production again in 1972 with the purchase of Dairy Maid Chocolates. As communication and transportation technology brought Canadians closer together, Dare saw an opportunity to expand into new and more reachable markets.
Scrapbook with clippings of Surrey plant opening.
