Slim Chiply, Potato Chip Mascot Created in Flint: 1950s-1960s

Any kid who grew up during the 1950s or 60s is worth his/her weight in TV watching if they remember this jingle:

"I'm Slim Chiply, the guy you see
On the Paramount Potato Chips bright red pack.
I'm the flavor depu-tee,
Protecting crispness in every sack.
They're delicious, and so nutritious, yes siree, they're pips,
Paramount Potato Chips!"

Slim Chiply was the mascot for Paramount Potato Chips, a snack food that was created just after World War II in Flint.

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Robert Johnson bought the company in 1958. He created the character of Slim Chiply and through TV and radio ads using the above jingle, the company expanded during the 1960s.

So what was the inspiration for Slim Chiply?
Why a cowboy?
Well, Slim was actually a potato chip dressed as a cowboy – Johnson came up with the character in the 1950s after seeing his own little boy wearing a cowboy costume. Slim was nicknamed “the flavor deputy” and his job was to protect freshness in every pack. Slim was joined by a tagline on most chip packs, “REACH for full-flavored potato chips”.

Let’s face it..... a potato chip wearing a gun holster these days would be frowned upon. (He might be viewed as a cereal killer.)

Paramount’s decline was thanks to the larger potato chip companies, who paid stores to have their chips displayed in prime spots. The Paramount chip factory at Lippencott Blvd. in Flint closed in 1995 after cranking out Slim Chiply and his chips since 1962.