Little Miss Sunbeam Bows Her Head in Prayer

For more than 60 years, Sunbeam bread, a product of the Quality Bakers of America, has changed its marketing just after Thanksgiving to add an image of Little Miss Sunbeam bowing her head in prayer. The caption, a quote from Jesus Christ in Matthew 4:4, reads “Not By Bread Alone.” This special packaging marks the company’s long tradition of reflecting on the holidays.

Little Miss Sunbeam was created in 1942 by Ellen Barbara Segner, a children's book illustrator, who was commissioned by QBA to create their mascot. Segner based Little Miss Sunbeam on a girl that she observed playing in New York's Washington Square Park. Segner went on to produce 30 original oil paintings of Miss Sunbeam in various poses that have been used throughout the years in advertising across America.

The image of Little Miss Sunbeam praying dates back to the early 1950s when she first appeared on a billboard in Urbana IL in anticipation of Christmas. The quote for the campaign was carefully chosen — "Jesus answered, It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God."

In uncertain times, QBA stands by their view that people need more than the physical, they need the spiritual to truly live. Jesus Christ has often been referred to as the “bread of life.” At Sunbeam Bread, the feeling is that the slogan brings people back to remembering what's important in life. Instead of a brand character just being depicted as smiling, she now has her hands folded in prayer and quiet reflection.

On behalf of everyone at the Quality Bakers of America, and our dedicated bakeries across our great nation, we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!