Pikle-Rite Keeps Your Weight Right

An illustration of Mr. Pikle. The character is a smiling pickle body in striped pants carrying a cane and wearing a hat and oversized white gloves. Upper banner is in red with white lettering, lower text is in red with overall white background.

The Pikle-Rite Company, a previously unincorporated entity based in Wisconsin, bought a pickle-making business in 1942. In 1946, the Pikle-Rite company began advertising their product with their mascot, Mr. Pikle. Through these advertisements, Pikle-Rite grew from a small family enterprise to a franchise sold in grocery stores across the Midwest.

In 1959, the company was involved in a lawsuit for trademark infringement in Chicago. Pikle-Rite, which had begun to use the trademark name “Polka” in 1956, was suing a Chicago-based company that sold pickles under the name “Pol-Pak” on the basis that "Pol-Pak" was imitating their name. Pikle-Rite won the suit, though the judge conceded that there was no proof that Pol-Pak was guilty of any fraud.