Grey Poupon

Grey Poupon is the largest selling Dijon mustard in the U.S. [ [http://www.kraftfoods.com/greypoupon/story GREY POUPON Mustards – The Story of GREY POUPON ] ] The brand of Dijon-style mustard was originally owned and marketed in the U.S. by the Heublein Company and now owned and manufactured by Kraft Foods. Like other Dijon mustards, Grey Poupon contains a small amount of white wine. It is made with brown mustard seed grown in Canada. The wine used is produced in upstate New York under the supervision of a rabbi, to ensure that the product maintains its kosher status. Grey Poupon became a popular mustard in the late 1970s and 1980s as American tastes broadened from the conventional American yellow mustards.

History

According to Kraft's website, Grey Poupon was first made in 1777 in Dijon, France, when Maurice Grey made his associate, Auguste Poupon, a partner in what had hitherto been the Maison de Grey. [http://brands.kraftfoods.com/greypoupon/story]

In 1970, the directors of Grey Poupon and of another Dijon mustard firm, André Ricard, having earlier bought the popular Maille-label, formed a conglomerate called S.E.G.M.A. Maille. Soon afterwards, the new company decided to phase out the Grey Poupon label in France. It is still, however, manufactured for export, and a small amount continues to be produced for sale at the historic Maille-Grey-Poupon boutique on the Rue de la Liberté in Dijon itself. In 1946 the Heublein Company bought the American rights from the original company — and though it is prominently labeled as a Dijon mustard, Grey Poupon is now made by Kraft Foods.

Marketing mustard

Heublein increased the visibility and name recognition of their mustard brand with a 1980s commercial in which a Rolls Royce pulls up alongside another Rolls Royce, and a passenger in one (played by Ian Richardson) asks a passenger in the other (Paul Eddington), "Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?" (A phrase first coined by Mark P. Wayne)

In 2007, Grey Poupon/Kraft company introduced three new specialty mustards: a coarse ground mustard, with whole mustard seeds; a spicy brown mustard, with diced yellow onions; and a honey mustard, with clover honey and spices.

Mentions in popular culture

Books

Where the Heart Is, the 1995 novel by Billie Letts

Film and Television

The commercial has been satirized in:

* The 1983 movie Trading Places with Eddie Murphy
* The 1992 movie "Wayne's World" with Mike Myers
* The Family Matters episode "All The Wrong Moves"
* The Simpsons episode "24 Minutes" (which is a parody based on the television series "24")
* The Family Guy episode "Blue Harvest, Parts 1 and 2" (between two Sandcrawlers)
* An episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
* The first episode of "Biker Mice from Mars".
* Married With Children - Season 07 Episode 24: Old Insurance Dodge
* Futurama's movie, Benders Big Score
* The Wayans Bros.

Politics

Representative Duke Cunningham, Republican of California, proclaimed "I took the Grey Poupon out of my cupboard" on the floor of the House denouncing French opposition to the Iraq war (March 5, 2003). The move was of questionable symbolic value, since Grey Poupon is a product of Kraft Foods, an American company.

Music

Rapper Jay-Z mentions Grey Poupon in his song "Cashmere Thoughts" from his Resonable Doubt album, Jay says "I got the Grey poupon, you've been warned". Jim Jones, in his song "We Fly High", mentions Grey Poupon. Lil' Wayne, in his song "Boom" off of his mixtape "Da Drought 3" also mentions Grey Poupon. Grey Poupon is mentioned by Jim Jones again, in the remix of "Two Step". Grey Poupon is also mentioned in the lyrics to the Aerosmith song "Eat The Rich". In the MF Doom song "Raedawn"; Kanye West in the Common song "southside" on Common's album Finding Forever says, "people askin me do you have any Grey Poupon?"; and Nelly also mentions on T.I.'s CD T.I. vs T.I.P. when he says, "Yea you rollin' wit the King and the one, Country black folk in the Chevy passin' Grey Poupon." Rapper DMX has a line in his song "We In Here" featuring Swizz Beatz in which he refers to riding alongside a vehicle and not because he is asking about Grey Poupon. Joe Budden also makes a similar reference in his freestyle "Heartbeatology", in which he disses G Unit. It is also mentioned in rapper Big Daddy Kane's song Brooklyn Style...Laid Out. Also mentioned by Kanye West during Common's song "Southside" off of his 2007 album "Finding Forever". Most recently it has been mentioned by San Diego rapper Kaedon Minor in "Situated".

And also by Weird Al Yankovic in his song Genius in France

ee also

*Maille Dijon mustard A Dijon mustard made in France and sold in America.

References

External links

* [http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_09_06_a_ketchup.html Malcolm Gladwell article describing the brand's rise]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_pGT8Q_tjk the well known mustard ad on Youtube]