Green Giant® is a popular brand of canned and frozen vegetables  produced and owned by General Mills. The brand originated in the USA but has since reached other countries including the UK.

History

Green Giant® was founded in the state of Minnesota, USA in 1903 by a company named The Minnesota Valley Canning Company. In 1907, the company introduced a new product to the US market, the “Early June Peas.”

In 1924, the company introduced another product to the market, “Golden Cream-Style Corn.” One year later, a new product was again introduced- peas that were unusually large. This new product was sold to the market as “Great Big Tender Peas.”

In 1928, the Green Giant icon was first used in advertising the company’s products. A year after, Green Giant Niblets® was introduced to the US market. This product was the first of the company’s products to be vacuum-packed. In 1937, the company came up with the slogan “Picked at the Fleeting Moment of Perfect Flavor.” The slogan was used in the advertising of the company and its products.

In 1950, the company’s name was changed to the Green Giant Company.  The label reached the UK market ten years later.  In 1961, the company introduced its frozen vegetables line, followed by vegetables that were stored in glass jars in 1963.  In 1969, the company was the first to launch frozen corn-on-the-cob to the market.

In 1979, the Green Giant Company merged The Pillsbury Company. In 2001, General Mills acquired both Pillsbury and Green Giant. Despite having been acquired by a new owner, the Green Giant® brand remains, as well as its mascot, the “Jolly Green Giant.” In fact, the mascot was even included in a MasterCard commercial in 2005, along with other company mascots.

Today, the Green Giant® brand continues to be a popular brand of frozen vegetables, not only in the United States, but also in the UK. The brand is particularly known for its 5-a-day tips, which are tips about how to consume five portions of fruit or vegetable everyday.

Headquarters: Uxbridge, UK
Ownership Type: a subsidiary of General Mills
Employees: information not available
Geography: USA and UK
Demography: retail food product consumers

Brands

Green Giant®

Important links

Green Giant Corporate Home Page
Products
Green Giant Contact Information