When I was growing up, there was always a carton of ice cream in our freezer. I don't recall what brand Mom bought regularly; it's only the flavors I remember: chocolate, vanilla or Neapolitan – nothing too exotic in the early days.
But the concept of exotic flavors is exactly what's being promoted in this ad for Bowman Ice Cream that ran in the Journal back on June 27, 1962. The three "Fantas-tic" flavors in Bowman's Fantasy ice cream line included Swiss Style Chocolate Vanilla; Swiss Style Chocolate Candied Pecan Vanilla; and Orange-Sherbet Caramel Nut Vanilla.
Yuck. I don't think all those nutty flavors would have been a big hit with my siblings and me.
What's interesting is that in the 1962 ad, there are two versions of the Bowman bowman mascot: the cartoony version at the bottom of the ad, and a more angular, "modern" rendering of him near the top of the ad by the LIFE magazine logo.
Anyway, Bowman Ice Cream continues to fascinate me, probably because of the huge painted sign promoting it on the side of Whalen Drug in the 1960s. Where else could you buy it in the area? Check out this listing of local stores that ran on the same page as the ad.
