Cartoon stick figure standing on a piece of gelatin and pointing at a chalkboard with “Jell-O” written in large chalk letters — representing a blog post about the Jell-O word mark trademark registration.

Trademark: Jell-O

First Used: 1897

First Registered: 1927

Current Owner: KRAFT FOODS GROUP BRANDS LLC [1]

Trademark Type: traditional trademark; word mark; design mark

Primarily Associated With: gelatin dessert [2]

Generic Phrase: gelatin dessert, as in JELL-O® Brand gelatin dessert

Also a Trademark for: ready-to-eat pudding [3], molds and cutters for shaping gelatin [4], dessert mixes consisting primarily of cheesecake mix, pie mix or pudding mix [5], cheesecake [6], toys [7], and candy [8], among others.

Brief (and likely incomplete) History [9]:

Gelatin dishes and desserts have been around for a long time, dating back to ancient Egypt. Back in medieval Europe they were even considered luxurious delicacies reserved for the wealthy. Derived from animal collagen (typically by boiling bones, skin, and connective tissue – YUM!), gelatin was difficult and time-consuming to produce. By the 18th and 19th centuries, more efficient methods of gelatin extraction had been developed, and gelatin dishes became more accessible, often appearing in molded forms as aspics, fruit-studded desserts, and elegant centerpieces. Still, the preparation remained labor-intensive, requiring the cook to clarify and flavor the gelatin themselves.

The Jell-O brand emerged in 1897 when Pearle B. Wait, a carpenter in LeRoy, New York, combined powdered gelatin with sugar and fruit flavoring to create an easy-to-make dessert. He and his wife May called the new product “Jell-O,” but struggled to market it and sold the rights in 1899 to a local businessman, Orator F. Woodward, for $450. Woodward’s Genesee Pure Food Company aggressively advertised Jell-O, distributing free recipe booklets and investing in colorful magazine ads, which helped it gain national popularity in the early 20th century.

Innovations in food processing and marketing, along with the Jell-O brand’s ease of preparation and visual appeal, turned it into an iconic American brand, especially during the 1950s and 60s, when gelatin salads and molded desserts became staples of mid-century cuisine. Later, General Foods chemist William A. Mitchell (also the inventor of other iconic brands like Cool Whip® [10], Tang® [11], and Pop Rocks® [12]) helped modernize the brand we know today by creating a reformulated, quick-set version of the Jell-O brand that dramatically reduced preparation time and made the dessert even more convenient for home cooks.