Advertisement for "Kewpie Garter," 1913

As the Kewpies’ influence grew, they began appearing outside the story pages—first in advertising. In 1913, ads for a “Kewpie Garter” and embroidery patterns began popping up in Woman’s Home Companion. With these came a shift: the Kewpies had entered everyday material life.

Through these ads, the Kewpies infiltrated other corners of the magazine, and by extension, the homes and wardrobes of their readers. The message was subtle but clear: the Kewpies could be both playmate and product.

"The Kewpies and the Sensible Woman" Jell-O Ad, 1915

The most ambitious leap into advertising came in 1914, when the Kewpies joined forces with Jell-O. In this long-running campaign, the Kewpies starred in ads that positioned the Kewpies as culinary companions, helping families choose “good things to eat” and reinforcing the idea that sensible women (and sensible Kewpies) knew what was best.

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"Jell-O and The Kewpies" Recipe Book, 1915

The partnership even included a full recipe booklet called Jell-O and the Kewpies, in which the Kewpies advised on flavors and fussed over gelatin molds. In this way, the Kewpies inserted themselves into other brands that had firmer roots in the lived reality of consumers, like the clothes they wore or the food they ate.

Cover of Woman's Home Companion, 1912

In another transformation, this cultural infiltration became material. Whereas the Kewpies had lived in American homes since their inception, the pages of women’s magazines had confined them. Soon, however, the Kewpies entered the material world in the form of D.I.Y . housewares, crafts, and “Kewpie Kutouts”—the paper cutout doll offered by Woman’s Home Companion.

"The First of the Kewpie Kutouts," 1912

Aimed at children, Woman’s Home Companion marketed the Kewpie Kutouts as educational playthings. The Kutouts would “introduce the kindergarten idea into the home,” teach children “skill in using scissors,” “concentration,” “dressmaking,” and “art education.” The home, then, became the physical setting for these instructive toys.

"The Wealthy Kewpie and the Wealthy Child" Kewpie Kutouts, 1913

The Kutouts also preserved the equalizing sentiments of the original cartoons. A special note on one issue assured readers that even the Wealthy Kewpie had only “one back and one front”—just like every other Kewpie. And the Wealthy Kewpie looks exactly the same as any other Kewpie: “Wealthy Kewpie, you see, looks quite like any other Kewpie until he puts on his frilly little dress.”

"Flying Kewpies" Christmas Decorations, 1913

Even beyond the official Kutouts, readers were invited to get creative. The Woman’s Home Companion “Exchange” section printed ideas for cutting out the illustrated Kewpie figures and using them in such crafts as Kewpie wallpaper, Kewpie Christmas trees, Kewpie talcum shakers, and Kewpie score cards. Craft by craft, DIY Kewpies began populating peoples’ homes, integrating into the woodwork to become a constant reminder of their cultural sway.

Newspaper photograph of Kewpie Doll, 1913

The biggest leap into the material world came in 1912 with the launch of the first Kewpie doll. Prompted by fan letters from children who wanted “a Kewpie they could hold,” O’Neill partnered with Borgfeldt & Co. and sculpted the dolls herself.

She rejected initial prototypes that looked too human, modeling her own with “absurd dimensions, tummy, topknot, wings, smile, and all.” These design choices preserved the Kewpies’ fantastical charm, even in porcelain form.

Bisque Kewpie Doll and box, 1912

The original dolls were produced in Germany, where O’Neill personally oversaw the molds. Sold in boxes she designed, they came with a poem encouraging their new owners to share Kewpie joy with others.

The dolls became a sensation. They sold out across U.S. department stores, and soon factories in France, Belgium, and beyond were producing them to meet demand. Kewpies, once flat on the page, had taken on a third dimension—and stormed the marketplace.

Celluloid Kewpie Doll, 1913 (Photo Credit: Gerson Lessa)

With popularity came variation. In addition to bisque porcelain, Kewpies appeared in celluloid and later versions with soft bodies and hard heads. They became playthings, keepsakes, and collector’s items.

Whether in paper, porcelain, or plastic, the Kewpies brought with them a quiet moral force—disarming, delightful, and ready to challenge expectations. And, importantly, the dolls marked the first iteration of the Kewpies’ physical infiltration of the world outside the home. This third dimension—the Kewpies’ material form—allowed them to slip seamlessly into the outside world.

Lillis Teshara and Man at Boardwalk Concession, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 1919

Kewpie Doll Concession Prize at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, ca. 1915-1929

The Kewpies soon found themselves in the most unexpected of contexts. In her autobiography, O’Neill reports that during World War I she received word of a war correspondent that spotted a Kewpie sticking out of a cannon atop a table of Italian officers, and that an acquaintance claimed finding a Kewpie lying face-up in the Californian desert. One common home for the Kewpie doll was at fairgrounds and carnivals across the country, where they were often dressed in ribbons and handed out as prizes.

Kewpie Doll Boardwalk Concession at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, ca. 1918-1925

WW1 Gold Kewpie Charm, ca. 1914 (Photo Credit: Butter Lane Antiques)

Soon, Kewpies were everywhere. They balanced candlesticks, swung from necklaces, and adorned birthday cards.

Kewpie Tea Set, ca. 1915 (Photo Credit: Elizabeth Loring)

They held umbrellas, decorated teacups, and perched on the handles of child-sized furniture.

The Kewpies also filled shelves with books, stationery, and club paraphernalia. There were Kewpie scrapbooks, Kewpie clubs, and personalized notes all bearing that familiar grin.

With these new products, the Kewpies’ domination of material culture had become absolute. No longer housebound, their material forms rapidly populated an outside world of consumers, culture, and politics. They had become inescapable—and with every new form, their message of mischievous goodness went further still.

Though often dismissed as decorative or novelty items, the Kewpies’ material forms marked a turning point—from playful print characters to powerful cultural presences. As they moved from page to product, their influence only grew.

In one 1914 anecdote, Rose O’Neill described placing a Kewpie doll beside a tiny tool shed built for subway workers in New York City. Passersby paused. Worn out from their day, “ambitious plodders with their feet on the ground and their heads in the clouds” noticed the doll—its red flag in hand, its smile full of mischief and sympathy. And just like that, they laughed. The Kewpie had done what it always did best: softened the world with a wink.

Whiting's Kewpie Stationery, 1914

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III.

Kewpish Cultural Domination

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