Advertising stoneware is one of Red Wing’s most popular lines among collectors, and encompassed a wide range of its product line.
Thanks to the ability to stamp business names, addresses and other text on stoneware, Red Wing was able to market its wares to merchants as a way to advertise their stores and products. For example, liquor and dealers water vendors sold their goods in jugs bearing their name, and creameries did the same with butter crocks. Usually, the customer paid a deposit for the container and received a refund when they returned it empty. However, many general merchants and hardware stores ordered advertising stoneware crocks and churns for the specific purpose of reselling them to customers for use in the home or on the farm. Having their name stamped on the item didn’t cost much
Advertising kitchenware items were especially popular in the 1920s and 1930s. A wide range of retailers and even service providers commissioned Red Wing to stamp their business names and store mottos onto items like bowls, pitchers, beater jars and bean pots. These durable pieces had longevity in a housewife’s kitchen, so there was a lot of value in supplying customers with a useful product that doubled as promotional item that encouraged their loyalty. Some merchants simply gave the items away to valued customers during the holiday season, and others offered them as premiums that were either sold at cost or given as rewards for repeated business. This method was especially popular among grocers.
