Kaiser
What do aluminum Christmas trees have to do with TV dinners? The Kaiser website won’t tell you, but The Aluminum Forest has the scoop! The common denominator is Henry J. Kaiser, innovator and industrialist! Kaiser founded his company in 1946 in Washington state. He first made a splash with the “Henry J.,” America’s first compact car. Using aluminum components, the car was designed to be affordable for the average American.
Next came the TV dinners. By partnering with the Swanson Company, Kaiser entered the realm of home economy by supplying the aluminum for the packaging. Foil wrap followed, but Kaiser could not make a dent in a market wholly dominated by Reynolds. Kaiser followed ALCOA’s lead in using television to promote their consumer products. The Kaiser Aluminum Hour was a dramatic series produced for the 1956-57 season on NBC.
Interestingly, The Aluminum Forest has no direct connection between Kaiser and any specific brand of aluminum Christmas tree. What we do have is a very detailed marketing piece produced by Kaiser, courting the aluminum Christmas tree industry. The Sock Full of Secrets touts the many benefits of selling “Certified” aluminum trees using Kaiser aluminum.
