American businessman and Morton Salt Company founder Joy Morton was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 27, 1855.
Before Morton Salt’s breakthrough, household salt often clumped and hardened in humid weather, making a simple kitchen staple frustrating to use. In 1911, the company began adding a small amount of magnesium carbonate, an anti-caking agent, to produce free-flowing table salt.
That practical innovation needed a memorable way to reach consumers. In 1914, Morton Salt introduced the now-iconic Umbrella Girl and the slogan, “When It Rains It Pours,” turning a product benefit into one of advertising’s most recognizable visual and verbal promises. The image of a child walking through the rain while salt pours freely made the message instantly clear: even damp weather would not stop Morton Salt from flowing.
More than a century later, the Umbrella Girl and “When It Rains It Pours” remain among the most durable symbols in American brand marketing.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
