Betty Crocker to the Rescue

When customers flooded the Washburn Crosby Company in 1921 with questions about baking with Gold Medal flour, the corporation created a fictional expert to offer help. The last name “Crocker” came from a retired director, and the first name “Betty” was chosen because it sounded friendly. Female employees submitted handwriting samples for the signature, and the “most distinctive” became the standard, still in use today.