V8 Vegetable Juice was created in Evanston, Illinois.

V8 Vegetable Juice was created by W.G. Peacock in 1933 in Evanston, Illinois, the founder of the New England Products Company, which manufactured individual vegetable juices under the brand name Vege-min. The dominate juice in this mixture is tomato juice comprising nearly 87% of the total juice.

A child, during World War II, purchases a can of V8 handing the grocer a ration book.

In order to try to boost sales, Peacock began experimenting with mixing the juices from different vegetables to improve on the overall flavor.  Eventually, he came up with the recipe for “Vege-min 8”, which was later shortened to “V8” at the suggestion of a local grocery store in Evanston, that was carrying the product. Peacock said he renamed the product V8 after the V8 engine which was the most powerful engine at the time.

Ronald Reagan for V8 Vegetable Juice, 1952.

Frank Constable of Chicago, who worked as a contractor for W.G. Peacock, developed a blended formula of vegetable juices from tomatoes, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, and spinach with spices such as dill and it is his formula of vegetable juice which has endured all these years as a saleable product which is still enjoyed today.

Shirley Temple for V8 Vegetable Juice magazine advertisement.

Frank had a long career working in the grocery business. His mother and father owned a grocery store and it was there that he learned about the food business. In his career, he also worked for Monarch Foods and was one of their best salesmen.

V8 Vegetable Juice ad from the Ladies Home Journal, 1947.

The V8 recipe was purchased by the Campbell Soup Company in 1948. Campbell's acquired the brand from the Charles Loudon Packing Company in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was the same year W.G. Peacock died and Ronald Reagan was the leading spokesman for V8.

SLOGANS
"Wow, It Sure Doesn't Taste like Tomato Juice!" (1960s)
"Drink V8 & Keep Your Diet Straight!" (1990s–present)
"Drink Smarter with V8." (2000–present)
"Drink It. Feel It." (2003–2004)
"Should've Had a V8." (1970s-1980s, 2009–present) ("Could've Had a V8." used in tandem)

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.