Little Debbie

According to tradition, the Little Debbie logo was inspired by a photo of the four-year-old granddaughter of O. D. McKee, the founder of McKee Foods. Pearl Mann, an Atlanta artist, did the original artwork for the Little Debbie brand, which made four-year-old Debbie look older. It was not until after the first cartons had been printed in 1960 that Debbie’s parents found out that their daughter’s name and likeness were used on McKee Food’s Oatmeal Creme Pie.
By 1964, the company was manufacturing 14 different products, and all had Little Debbie’s image. The best-selling Little Debbie products include Swiss Cake Rolls, Nutty Bars Wafer Bars, Oatmeal Creme Pies, and Fudge Brownies. The company also licenses Little Debbie-style Barbie Dolls and Little Debbie Hot Wheels car sets. McKee Foods Corporation is a privately held company headquartered in Collegedale, Tennessee. Little Debbie products are also sold in Canada and Mexico. As of 2005, Little Debbie cakes manufactured by McKee Foods were the best-selling cakes in America.