7 Things You Didn’t Know About Coppertone Sunscreen & Its Famous Ad Campaign

Barb Oates 3 minutes ago

Just the smell of the famed sunscreen triggers golden memories of sunshine and happy days. That brown, textured bottle was a welcome addition in any suitcase or beach bag bound for the beach or pool.

Over the years, Coppertone’s look and bottle have changed (although the iconic image remains), and its product portfolio has expanded. Coppertone is owned today by the Germany-based Beiersdorf, which also owns Nivea, Eucerin, and Aquaphor, among other skin and body care brands.

Equally memorable is Coppertone’s iconic Little Miss Coppertone ads — the adorable toddler with her too-cute cocker spaniel tugging on her bikini bottom. The ad is as iconic as a Norman Rockwell, but do you know the artist who created it or the story behind the brand? Here are some fun facts to get you ready for summer.

EXPMDX 1960s USA Coppertone Magazine Advert (detail)

Credit: Retro AdArchives/Alamy Stock Photo

1 Pinup Artist Turned Ad Legend

Joyce Ballantyne (1918-2006) grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and received a commercial art degree from the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Her first job was painting Rand McNally maps, though in her spare time she preferred painting pinups. Famed publisher Brown & Bigelow took notice of her work and hired the creative, and she designed direct mail pinups and calendars for them. Her career flourished in the ad world as her humor and artistry shone through in so much of her work, her most iconic being her portrait of Little Miss Coppertone in 1955. This, ultimately, was her claim to fame and put Ballantyne in high demand. She once remarked of the Coppertone ad: “Big deal, it’s only baby art. … Just a piece I was commissioned to do and nothing more.”

2 The Baby Behind the Art

The girl in the Coppertone portrait was pinup artist Joyce Ballantyne’s daughter Cheri, who was also just three at the time. “The world’s most famous rear end, that’s what I’ve been called,” Cheri Irwin told The Huffington Post. “What I remember about that day was I was outside, standing on a table. It was a hot, sunny summer afternoon, and they were taking pictures of me.” Ballantyne reportedly earned around $2,500 for her drawings and another $2,000 when the drawings were lost in a fire, and she needed to re-create them.

3 Jodie Foster’s Acting Debut

Although she was never Little Miss Coppertone, Jodie Foster was just three years old when she made her acting debut — shirtless and giggly — in a 1965 TV commercial for Coppertone. Foster was actually not even being considered for the job — she was merely along with her mom for her older brother’s audition when casting agents took notice of her. Clearly, those agents could spot talent.

4 The Symbol of Miami Beach

Miami Beach was quick to claim Little Miss Coppertone as its own with postcards and souvenirs adorning the brand’s image with a simple saying of “Greetings from Miami Beach.” A 35-foot billboard of Little Miss Coppertone remained at the side of the Parkleigh Hotel on Biscayne Boulevard for over 30 years (1959-91)!

5 Stars Lathered on the Lotion

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There was no denying that back in the 1960s and 1970s, pretty much everyone knew Coppertone “Gives You a Better Tan.” After all, a who’s who of celebrities was constantly endorsing that, from Julie Newmar and Stefanie Powers to Sandra Dee, and more. Ads also would highlight the safety side of wearing sunscreen, as well, like the ads featuring Barbara Eden (before her I Dream of Jeannie days) and Michael Callan (both starred in The New Interns) or Paula Prentiss and Jim Hutton (from 1962’s The Horizontal Lieutenant), affirming it was the “Fastest tan under the sun … with maximum sunburn protection!”

6 But What Was That Greatest Suntan Test?

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Ads touted Coppertone’s win in some “two-week scientific tests” conducted in Miami Beach by a “noted” skin specialist. While Elke Sommer claimed, “I tan faster with Coppertone,” the inset photo in the ad validated that claim by explaining how tests proved that Coppertone gave faster, deeper tans than the next two widely advertised suntan products. We would have loved to be sitting on the beach observing those tanning tests!

7 A Modern Little Miss Coppertone

Coppertone did a 2012 search to find a little girl (age 2 to 7) who “embodies the persona of the brand’s beloved icon” in a nationwide contest. “Our iconic Little Miss Coppertone represents the vibrancy of childhood, a love for the outdoors and the confidence that comes with using Coppertone products,” said James Mackey, then senior vice president and U.S. region head for Merck Consumer Care. “She has transformed throughout the years and our contest will honor her evolution.” Coppertone got some backlash when they picked a similar-looking child — 5-year-old Alaina Thompson from Winter Haven, Florida.

This article ran in the Vintage Brands Issue of ReMIND Magazine. You can purchase the full issue at the link below.