A1 is a steak sauce and condiment for use with meat or game dishes.
A1 was introduced to the United States by G.F. Heublein & Brothers, and was officially registered as a trademark in North America in 1895.
History and ownership
The original steak sauce upon which A1 is based was created in 1824 by Henderson William Brand, one of the chefs to King George IV of the United Kingdom. Legend has it that the king declared it "A1" and the name was born. It went into commercial production under the Brand & Co. label in 1831, and continued production under this label after bankruptcy forced ownership of Brand & Co. to be transferred to W.H. Withall in 1850. It was renamed A1 in 1873, after a trademark dispute between creator Henderson William Brand and Dence & Mason, who had since purchased Brand & Co. from Withall. It was then introduced to the United States in 1895 under the ownership of G.F. Heublein & Brothers. In 1931, A1 was introduced to Canada.
Ownership of A1 was passed to Nabisco in 1981 after it was acquired by R. J. Reynolds. In 1999, Kraft Foods acquired Nabisco, including the A1 brand.
In 2000, the A1 line of marinades was launched, representing the first expansion of the trademark.
Legal action
A1 was the subject of a trademark dispute between then owners Nabisco and “Arnie’s Deli”, which was producing its own recipe condiment under the name “A2 Sauce”. In 1991, Connecticut District Court found in favor of Nabisco. [1]
Advertising
Some famous slogans for A1 include:
- "Don't cover it. Discover it, with A1." (1980s)
- "Great Steak! Great fun! A1!" (1981)
- "A1 makes hamburgers taste like steakburgers." (early 1980s)
- "A1. How Steak is Done." (1990s)
- "A1. Yeah, it's that important." (current)
References
- ^ "Reminiscing A1". Retrieved 2008-09-17.