Original Gerber baby passes torch to new generation

>>> in the advertising world a cute baby with wide eyes is synonymous with the gerber baby . the original gisher baby is here but first a look back at the iconic image. baby, a print ad that debuted in 1928 and went on to become synonymous with the brand for decades. a familiar baby face that evolved from black and white photos to television ads.

>> this extra care goes into all gerber juices.

>> but who is the face of gerber , an artist sketched ann turner cook and her face was chosen after a nationwide contest to find the ideal baby for a new line of products. her baby face went on to be trademarked years later, and now a new generation of smiling babies recently competed for the coveted tight of the gerber baby . a new face for a new generation. and we are revehicaling the winner right now. her name is mary jane and she's here with her parents and the original gerber baby . good morning to all of you.

>> good morning.

>> congratulations, sarah and billy. what an incredible thing for you and mary jane . obviously adorable and gorgeous. there was tough competition here. 300,000 people submitted pictures.

>> yes.

>> we basically submitted the picture the very last day within the last two hours of the time frame . it took a little while to get that picture, too, because she would not stop looking at the crowd and the birds and turning her face so it did take a while to get the shot but once we got it we submit it had and got it in in the nick of time .

>> did you have a lot of hope? did you think you had a winner?

>> of course we think our baby is adorable.

>> absolutely.

>> and every parent sees that in their child.

>> got the gerber spunk for sure. you can finally tell, billy, your family because you've been signature on this secret for three weeks.

>> very tough to keep it from our family. so excited and bursting at seams with pride for your daughter. can't wait till she grows up to say she's the gerber baby .

>> there's a cash prize in this as well, $50,000.

>> what do you plan to do with the money?

>> higher education. we see the value in that and it's going to her college.

>> mary jane is not replacing ann turner cook all together.

>> no.

>> this is a year long new campaign, the new generation of gerber .

>> new advertisements coming in.

>> will be the star of this year's advertising.

>> tell me how much that changed your life, becoming a gerber baby back in the 1920s . you are the original.

>> yes, yes. since 1928 i've been the face of every product that gerber made. it's been wonderful to me to be the symbol for babies, and i've become a symbol worldwide for babies, but even more important for such a good product. i can always be very proud of the product because it's always been good nutrition for babies.

>> you still have the same cheeks and that sparkle in your eye, for sure. now i know your children, you have four grown children of your own.

>> four children.

>> all proud of the fact. they go about touting that you're the original gerber baby .

>> everywhere they can.

>> they always did. even in a grocery store, they would go down the aisle and they would point out that's my mother's picture. well, it's hard to explain to people.

>> who do you think of the new generation?

>> oh, she is just adorable, and she's a delightful little person .

>> she's got that gerber spirit in her, that's for sure. great to have you all here. congratulations. that's a great face, all right. there's the gerber baby for you. thank you all so much. thank you.

>> congratulations to you.