Aeroplane Jelly
An Australian jelly dessert brand known for jelly crystals, aviation-themed branding and one of the country's longest-running advertising jingles.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Aeroplane Jelly is an Australian jelly dessert brand created in 1927 by Bert Appleroth and now owned by McCormick Foods Australia, the Australian subsidiary of United States-based McCormick & Company. Its core product is packaged jelly crystals, which consumers dissolve in hot water before cooling the mixture until it sets. The brand is associated with convenient home preparation, family desserts and children's food occasions rather than with premium or professional culinary products. The brand grew from Appleroth's small Sydney manufacturing operation. Before forming a company, Appleroth reportedly prepared jelly crystals from gelatine and sugar and sold them door-to-door, using his work as a tram conductor to reach customers. In 1927 he and business partner Albert Francis Lenertz established Traders Pty Ltd. Aviation was a prominent symbol of modernity when the business was expanding, and Appleroth's enthusiasm for aircraft influenced the name Aeroplane Jelly. The aviation identity was reinforced through publicity, packaging, aircraft deliveries and later the mascot Bertie the Aeroplane. Aeroplane Jelly became especially prominent through its advertising music. The brand's jingle was composed by Lenertz and was first used in radio advertising in the early 1930s. A later recording by five-year-old Joy King in 1937 became the best-known version. During the 1940s, the song was broadcast very frequently and became embedded in Australian popular culture. The campaign was adapted for multilingual audiences in the 1960s, and later versions were performed by well-known entertainers. In 2008, Joy King's recording was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry. The business remained family-operated for several generations. After Bert Appleroth, management passed to his son Bert II and then to his grandson Bert III. Following Bert III's death in 1985, ownership passed to his wife Val. Traders Pty Ltd sold the Aeroplane Jelly business to McCormick Foods Australia in 1994 or 1995, with sources differing on the precise transaction year. McCormick later consolidated production, moving manufacture from West Ryde in New South Wales to Clayton, Victoria, in 2006. Aeroplane Jelly's range has included standard jelly crystals, multiple flavours and lower-calorie products. Strawberry is historically identified as its leading flavour. The brand has also released limited or commemorative flavours, including Australian native-fruit varieties introduced for the 1988 Australian Bicentenary. Its market identity rests on recognisable packaging, simple preparation, family familiarity and nostalgia. It continues to operate as an Australian consumer food brand under McCormick ownership, although detailed current information about its distribution footprint, manufacturing volumes and corporate financial performance is not established in the supplied sources.
History
Aeroplane Jelly originated in Sydney through the entrepreneurial work of Bert Appleroth, a tram conductor who began making jelly crystals from gelatine and sugar. He initially sold the product directly to households, reportedly using his tram route to move around Sydney. By 1917 he had rented premises for production, and in 1927 he formed Traders Pty Ltd with Albert Francis Lenertz. That company became the operating vehicle behind Aeroplane Jelly and grew into a substantial family-run Australian food manufacturer. The brand name reflected Appleroth's interest in aviation and the excitement surrounding aircraft during the early twentieth century. Aeroplane Jelly's identity was developed through more than its name: Appleroth used a Tiger Moth aircraft to deliver products to rural areas in 1934, while advertising and packaging repeatedly used aviation imagery. Bertie the Aeroplane, a mascot named after Bert Appleroth, was introduced in 1942 and later appeared in cinema and television advertising as well as on packaging. Advertising was central to the brand's national recognition. Albert Francis Lenertz composed the Aeroplane Jelly jingle, adapting an earlier political song. The jingle was used on radio from the early 1930s, initially performed on the Goodie Reeve program by child singer Jennifer Paykel. After a Sydney talent competition, five-year-old Joy King was selected to make the best-known recording in 1937. The song became a highly recurrent radio commercial during the 1940s and was subsequently recorded in several languages, including Greek, Italian, Russian and Yugoslav. Versions were also associated with performers such as the Andrews Sisters and Victor Borge. The jingle's cultural status has outlasted many individual advertising campaigns. A 1988 newspaper discussion raised competing claims about who had contributed to the song, but the supplied material does not establish a definitive legal finding or a formal resolution. In 2003, the brand used its anniversary to invite schoolchildren to create a new rendition, linking the campaign to fundraising for the Starlight Children's Foundation. In 2008, Joy King's recording was formally recognised through inclusion in the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry. Traders Pty Ltd remained under Appleroth family control for much of the brand's early history. Management passed from Bert Appleroth to his son Bert II and then to his grandson Bert III. When Bert III died in 1985, his wife Val became the owner. The company subsequently entered negotiations with McCormick Foods Australia, reportedly helped by a personal relationship between the Appleroth family and a former McCormick managing director. The sale took place in 1994 or 1995, with the supplied references using both dates. McCormick Foods Australia is a subsidiary of McCormick & Company, a United States food company. Manufacturing began in Paddington, New South Wales, before moving to West Ryde, where Aeroplane Jelly was produced for 33 years. In 2006, McCormick shifted production to Clayton, Victoria, as part of a broader centralisation of manufacturing in Victoria. The product portfolio has remained focused on jelly crystals and related dessert mixes. Aeroplane Jelly introduced a low-calorie jelly in 1953 and released Australian-themed flavours such as Lilly Pilly, Quandong and Midjinberry for the 1988 Australian Bicentenary; those special flavours were later withdrawn. Strawberry has historically been the leading flavour. Today Aeroplane Jelly remains an active Australian packaged-food brand associated with simple preparation, childhood desserts and national nostalgia. Its enduring reputation comes from the combination of a distinctive aviation theme, accessible jelly products and a jingle that became part of Australia's advertising and sound heritage. Current detailed information about manufacturing volumes, ownership structure below McCormick Foods Australia, international sales and present executive leadership is not established in the supplied reference material.
- 2008
Jingle added to Sounds of Australia
[1]Joy King's recording entered the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry.
- 2006
Manufacturing relocated to Clayton
[1]McCormick Foods Australia moved production from West Ryde, New South Wales, to Clayton, Victoria.
- 2003
75th-anniversary jingle competition
[1]A national competition sought a new recording of the jingle and supported fundraising for the Starlight Children's Foundation.
- 1996
Bertie returns to packaging and digital promotion
[1]Bertie the Aeroplane reappeared on jelly packaging and the Aeroplane Jelly website.
- 1994
McCormick Foods Australia acquires the brand
[1]Traders Pty Ltd sold Aeroplane Jelly to McCormick Foods Australia; some references date the transaction to 1995.
- 1988
Australian Bicentenary flavours released
[1]Special flavours including Lilly Pilly, Quandong and Midjinberry were introduced for the Australian Bicentenary and later discontinued.
- 1966
Multilingual jingle versions produced
[1]The advertising song was recorded in Greek, Italian, Russian and Yugoslav for campaigns directed at ethnic communities in Australia.
- 1953
Low-calorie jelly introduced
[1]Aeroplane Jelly introduced what the reference describes as Australia's first low-calorie jelly.
- 1942
Bertie the Aeroplane introduced
[1]The brand introduced Bertie the Aeroplane as a mascot for cinema advertising and later broader marketing.
- 1937
Joy King records the signature jingle
[1]Five-year-old Joy King recorded the version of the Aeroplane Jelly jingle that later became its best-known historic recording.
Products and positioning
An accessible, family-oriented Australian dessert brand built around easy home preparation, colourful flavours and strong cultural nostalgia.
Jelly dessert mix · 1927
Aeroplane Jelly jelly crystals
The brand's principal product is a packet of flavoured jelly crystals. The crystals are dissolved in hot water and then cooled to create a set dessert. The format is designed for straightforward household preparation and is strongly associated with family meals, children's parties and nostalgic Australian food culture.
Flavoured jelly
Strawberry jelly
Strawberry is the brand's historically best-selling flavour. It represents the mainstream end of the range and reflects Aeroplane Jelly's emphasis on familiar, sweet fruit flavours suitable for everyday desserts.
Reduced-calorie dessert mix · 1953
Low-calorie jelly
Introduced in 1953, the low-calorie line extended the brand beyond its traditional sweet dessert positioning. The supplied reference identifies it as an early Australian low-calorie jelly product, but does not provide current formulation or range details.
Limited-edition jelly · 1988
Australian Bicentenary flavours
For the 1988 Australian Bicentenary, Aeroplane Jelly released special flavours associated with native Australian fruits, including Lilly Pilly, Quandong and Midjinberry. The variants were later phased out by 1992.
Marketing campaigns
- 200375th-anniversary jingle competition
Australia
Aeroplane Jelly invited schools and the public to submit a new version of its famous jingle as part of its 75th-anniversary activity. The campaign also raised money for the Starlight Children's Foundation.
Outcome. Palm Beach State School in Queensland won and recorded the song with participation from runner-up Park Ridge Primary School in Victoria.
- 1966Multilingual jingle campaign
Australia
The advertising song was recorded in Greek, Italian, Russian and Yugoslav versions as part of an effort to reach Australia's diverse ethnic communities.
Outcome. The campaign is described as an early Australian example of advertising adapted for multiple ethnic audiences.
- 1942Bertie the Aeroplane
Australia
The brand introduced an aviation-themed mascot named Bertie the Aeroplane for cinema advertising. The character later appeared in television commercials, packaging and digital promotion.
Outcome. Bertie reinforced the distinctive aviation identity that separated Aeroplane Jelly from other dessert products.
- 1930Aeroplane Jelly radio jingle
Australia
Aeroplane Jelly built a long-running radio campaign around a short song composed by Albert Francis Lenertz. Early broadcasts featured child singer Jennifer Paykel, followed by Joy King's well-known 1937 recording.
Outcome. The jingle became one of Australia's most recognisable advertising songs and a durable part of national popular culture.
Brand decisions
2006
Manufacturing centralisationStrategyBackground
Aeroplane Jelly had been manufactured at West Ryde in New South Wales for 33 years.
Action taken
McCormick Foods Australia moved production to Clayton, Victoria, to centralise manufacturing operations in Victoria.
Aftermath
Production continued under McCormick's Australian manufacturing network; the supplied sources do not provide further operational detail.
1994
Sale to McCormick Foods AustraliaM&ABackground
After several generations of Appleroth family ownership, Traders Pty Ltd entered discussions with McCormick Foods Australia.
Action taken
The Aeroplane Jelly business was sold to McCormick Foods Australia, a subsidiary of McCormick & Company. Some reference material dates the transaction to 1995.
Aftermath
The brand continued under corporate ownership while retaining its established Australian identity.
Sources2 sources
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