Mickey Mouse Globe Trotters and Tar Heel Bread

Mickey Mouse Globe Trotters and Tar Heel Bread

I ran across this image of a Mickey Mouse Globe Trotters button on the  North Carolina Miscellany page. It was a bit of marketing that I wasn’t familiar with, so I started to diga little deeper.

Unfortunately, Tar Heel Bread is nothing like school bread, but it is always interesting to see a Disney tie-in to your home state.

So, just what is Tar Heel Bread? According to the August 6, 1932 Journal of the American Medical Association:

TAR HEEL BREAD Manufacturer.—Waldensian Baking Company, Valdese, N. C. Description.—A white bread made by the sponge dough method (method described in The Journal, March 5, 1932, p. 817) ; prepared from patent flour, water, yeast, salt, sucrose, shortening, sweetened condensed skim milk and a yeast food containing calcium sulphate, ammonium chloride, sodium chloride and potassium bromate.
Analysis (submitted by manufacturer).— per cent
Moisture (entire loaf). 37.5
Ash.0.8
Fat.0.7
Protein ( X 6.25). 8.4
Crude fiber.0.3
Carbohydrates other than crude fiber (by difference).. 52.3
Calories.— 2.5 per gram; 71 per ounce.

So, what does it take to be in the Mickey Mouse Globe Trotters and why would I want to be one?

Kay Kamen, the master for most of Disney’s early marketing was the driving force behind the Mickey Mouse Globe Trotters milk and bread program. Mickey Mouse is believed to be the first cartoon character to sell bread (leading to Donald Duck Orange Juice). Kamen was the genius that helped to create the first Mickey Mouse watch and the infamous Mickey Mouse handcar that saved the Lionel corporation from bankruptcy.

Once you’ve decided to become a Globe Trotter, you simply asked your local grocer for a mail-in application that you sent to the Bread Department of the National Biscuit Company (that’s NABISCO to you and me).

Shortly thereafter, you would have received this lovely map/game board on which you could paste the cards/photos that came in the loaves of bread (I think).

it’s a small world after all…

Let’s take a closer look at one of the featured characters:

Goofy? Is that you?

The image is obviously our friend Goofy from the Fab Five.

Do you remember the Mickey Mouse Globe Trotters program?