Good Humor
American ice cream and frozen-novelty brand known for chocolate-coated bars and its historic ice cream trucks.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Good Humor is an American ice cream brand whose identity was built around a chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream bar on a stick and the mobile vendors who sold it. The business originated in Youngstown, Ohio, where ice cream parlor owner Harry Burt adapted the emerging idea of coating frozen desserts in chocolate. Burt’s family is credited with developing the practical wooden-stick format: the stick made the novelty easier to eat and helped create a durable bond during hardening. In 1920, Burt equipped twelve street-vending trucks with rudimentary freezers and bells and began selling what he called Good Humor Ice Cream Suckers. The brand expanded through a combination of company operations, franchises, distributors, and retail sales. Patent applications filed in 1922 were eventually granted in 1923 for equipment and manufacturing processes associated with frozen novelties on sticks, rather than for the ice cream product itself. Good Humor also reached an early licensing settlement with the Popsicle Corporation, establishing a commercial relationship in the rapidly developing frozen-novelty category. After Harry Burt’s death in 1926, his widow sold her interest to Midland Food Products, which reorganized the business as the Good Humor Corporation of America and developed a franchise system. During the Depression and the following decades, Good Humor’s trucks, push carts, bicycles, shoulder boxes, and other vending formats made the brand a familiar part of American street life. The business emphasized disciplined vendor training, standardized service rituals, seasonal routes, and promotional devices such as the short-lived “lucky stick” offer. Good Humor also benefited from publicity in and around film production; its trucks appeared in numerous movies, and the 1950 feature film The Good Humor Man further embedded the name in popular culture. Following World War II, the company expanded into suburban neighborhoods and served a growing population of children and families. Its fleet reached approximately 2,000 trucks by the mid-1950s, while the product range expanded substantially beyond the original vanilla bar. In 1961, Good Humor was acquired by Thomas J. Lipton, the U.S. subsidiary of Unilever. The new ownership faced a difficult operating environment. Aging trucks, labor disputes, union restrictions, rising fuel and insurance costs, changing suburban traffic patterns, and competition from soft-serve vendors weakened the economics of company-operated street routes. As the postwar baby-boom generation grew older, the original child-centered route model also became less dependable. Good Humor gradually shifted toward vans, independent distributors, supermarkets, and other retail channels. In 1978, it sold its street-vending fleet and ceased operating the traditional company fleet, although independent vendors and distributors continued to sell Good Humor products. The grocery business returned to profitability by 1984. Unilever subsequently consolidated Good Humor with other major ice cream brands, including Popsicle, Klondike, Breyers, and Sealtest, creating the broader Good Humor-Breyers operation in the United States. Good Humor became part of Unilever’s international ice cream architecture and used the Heartbrand mark during portions of its modern history. After Unilever separated its ice cream business, Good Humor became part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company. The brand remains active in the United States, primarily as a packaged ice cream and frozen-novelty label. Although Good Humor no longer directly operates a national fleet of trucks, its historical association with mobile ice cream selling remains central to its cultural meaning. In 2020, Good Humor worked with music producer RZA on a replacement jingle for ice cream trucks. The project responded to concerns that “Turkey in the Straw,” a tune long associated with ice cream trucks, had also been used with racist lyrics. Good Humor stated that it did not directly oper…
History
Good Humor began in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1920 under Harry Burt. Burt reproduced the emerging chocolate-coated ice cream novelty and, with an idea attributed to his son Harry Burt Jr., added a wooden stick to make the product easier to handle. The first twelve vending trucks used simple freezer equipment and bells, beginning a business model that combined a standardized frozen product with mobile neighborhood distribution. Burt applied for patents in 1922. The patents, granted in 1923, covered manufacturing equipment and processes for frozen novelties on sticks rather than granting exclusive ownership of the bar itself. Good Humor later reached a settlement with the Popsicle Corporation under which Popsicle paid a license fee for certain frozen products, while Good Humor retained rights associated with ice cream and related desserts. After Burt died in 1926, his widow sold her interest in 1928 to Midland Food Products Company. Midland reorganized the business as the Good Humor Corporation of America and sold franchises. Expansion followed across major U.S. territories, while the company and its franchisees used trucks, carts, bicycles, shoulder boxes, and even boats to reach customers. The business was particularly resilient during the Depression because it offered an inexpensive treat and generated seasonal employment. Its operating culture was highly standardized: vendors were trained, uniforms and customer-service rules were emphasized, and routes were managed with close discipline. Good Humor’s cultural reach grew through promotions and publicity. A “lucky stick” program offered free products to selected customers until federal regulators treated it as an illegal lottery in 1939. The company also placed trucks near movie studios and benefited from appearances in more than 200 films. In 1950, the film The Good Humor Man gave the brand an especially visible popular-culture association. The postwar period brought rapid growth. Good Humor moved into suburbs, where children represented a large share of customers, and expanded its fleet to about 2,000 trucks by 1956. David J. Mahoney became president that year and oversaw a reported increase in sales during his tenure. By 1960, the product range had grown to approximately 85 treats and flavor combinations, including chocolate, strawberry, toasted almond, coconut, chocolate cake, strawberry shortcake, and chocolate éclair variants. Unilever entered the story in 1961 through its U.S. subsidiary Thomas J. Lipton. The acquisition provided Good Humor with a larger corporate owner but also exposed the business to structural problems. The fleet required expensive replacement, union contracts complicated labor changes, seasonal staffing was difficult, and competition from soft-serve trucks intensified. Fuel, insurance, and labor costs rose while the original child-centered suburban route model weakened. Good Humor tried larger vans and safety equipment, including stop arms developed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but the company-operated fleet became increasingly uneconomic. In 1978, Good Humor sold its trucks, many of which were purchased by former vendors or other independent operators. The company continued as a distributor and concentrated on packaged products sold through supermarkets and other retail outlets. That strategy restored profitability by 1984. Unilever then expanded and consolidated its U.S. ice cream activities through acquisitions. Gold Bond Ice Cream, including Popsicle, was acquired in 1989; Dickie Dee was acquired in 1992; and Isaly Klondike and Kraft General Foods’ ice cream operations, including Breyers and Sealtest, followed in 1993. These activities supported the Good Humor-Breyers organization and placed the brand within Unilever’s broader international ice cream network. The Heartbrand appeared on Good Humor products during parts of the modern period. Unilever integrated its American ice cream division into its Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey offices in 2007. The Heartbrand was removed from the Good Humor logo in 2009 and returned from 2014 onward. In 2020, Good Humor partnered with RZA to create a new truck jingle, acknowledging the problematic history of “Turkey in the Straw” while recognizing that independent truck operators, rather than Good Humor itself, operate many contemporary vehicles. Good Humor is now part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company and continues as an active U.S. frozen-novelty brand.
- 2020
New ice cream-truck jingle released
[1]Good Humor and RZA released a replacement composition for use by ice cream-truck operators concerned about the history of “Turkey in the Straw.”
- 1993
Good Humor-Breyers portfolio expanded
[1]Unilever acquired Isaly Klondike and Kraft General Foods’ ice cream division, including Breyers and Sealtest.
- 1989
Gold Bond Ice Cream acquired by Unilever
[1]The acquisition added Popsicle to Unilever’s expanding U.S. ice cream portfolio.
- 1984
Returns to profitability
[1]The grocery-centered business model had restored Good Humor’s profitability after the decline of company-operated routes.
- 1978
Street-vending fleet sold
[1]Good Humor ended its company-operated truck business and concentrated on distribution and grocery retail.
- 1961
Acquired by Thomas J. Lipton
[1]Good Humor became part of Unilever through the company’s U.S. subsidiary, Thomas J. Lipton.
- 1956
Fleet reaches about 2,000 trucks
[1]The postwar expansion of suburban routes made Good Humor one of the most recognizable mobile food-vending brands in the United States.
- 1928
Midland Food Products reorganizes the business
[1]Following Harry Burt’s death, Midland Food Products acquired the family interest and organized the Good Humor Corporation of America.
- 1923
Manufacturing patents granted
[1]Patents covering equipment and processes for producing frozen novelties on sticks were granted after applications filed the previous year.
- 1920
First Good Humor vending trucks operate
[1]Harry Burt equipped twelve Youngstown trucks with freezer equipment and bells to sell chocolate-coated ice cream bars on sticks.
Products and positioning
A nostalgic American frozen-novelty brand centered on convenient, individually portioned ice cream treats and the cultural legacy of neighborhood ice cream vending.
ice cream bar · 1920
Good Humor Bar
The signature Good Humor product is a vanilla ice cream bar coated in chocolate and mounted on a wooden stick. The format established the brand’s identity in the 1920s and was designed for convenient consumption by mobile-vending customers. The original bar was commonly described as a three-ounce chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream novelty.
frozen novelty
Chocolate-coated flavor bars
Good Humor historically offered numerous variations on the core chocolate-coated bar, including chocolate-coated chocolate, strawberry, toasted almond, coconut, chocolate cake, strawberry shortcake, and chocolate éclair versions. The assortment reflected the brand’s effort to broaden a simple format into a large family of flavored and textured treats.
ice cream and frozen desserts · 1978
Packaged frozen novelties
After the company-owned truck fleet was sold, Good Humor increasingly reached consumers through supermarkets and other retail channels. Its packaged portfolio has included individually portioned bars and other frozen novelties associated with the brand’s traditional American ice cream identity.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020New ice cream-truck jingle with RZA
United States
Good Humor collaborated with producer RZA on a new melody for ice cream trucks, seeking to replace “Turkey in the Straw” because of its association with racist lyrics. The project addressed the brand’s historic truck culture even though Good Humor does not directly operate the trucks.
Outcome. Composition released in August 2020.
- 1939Lucky Stick promotion
United States
Customers who found a designated marking on an ice cream stick could receive a free Good Humor. Federal regulators later treated the promotion as an illegal lottery, ending the program.
Outcome. Discontinued after regulatory action.
Brand decisions
2020
Replace the traditional truck jingleOtherBackground
The melody commonly known as “Turkey in the Straw” had become controversial because it had been paired with racist lyrics in the past.
Action taken
Good Humor worked with RZA to create and release a new composition for ice cream trucks.
Aftermath
The new jingle provided an alternative for independent truck operators and connected the brand to a public discussion about cultural context and inclusive marketing.
1978
Exit from company-operated street vendingStrategyBackground
Rising fuel, insurance, labor, maintenance, and route-management costs had made the traditional truck fleet unprofitable, while suburban demand patterns and competition from soft-serve operators were changing.
Action taken
Good Humor sold its fleet and shifted toward distribution, independent vendors, and supermarket sales.
Aftermath
The retail-focused business returned to profitability by 1984, while the truck model survived mainly through independent operators.
Recent events
Good Humor and RZA partner on a new ice cream jingle[2]
Reported:
Good Humor partnered with RZA to create a new ice cream jingle, which was planned to be available free to ice cream trucks across the U.S. later that month.
Sources3 sources
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