Editing Nippy (section)

==Image and reality==

By the 1920s it was already long established in the advertising world that attractive female models could sell products, and the tea business of J. Lyons & Co was no exception.  Nippies appeared in all manner of advertising, on product packages, and on promotional items.  The Nippy soon became a national icon.  Unlike other endorsements of the day, which often took the form of popular celebrities or cartoon characters, a Nippy was accessible and close to home.  A Nippy was someone who could be seen and interacted with every day, and perhaps this was part of the appeal of the concept.  J. Lyons was very careful to maintain the Nippy image as wholesome and proper — strict cleanliness standards applied for Nippy uniforms, and before World War II  J. Lyons [[marriage bar|would not hire married women]] as Nippies. So popular was the image that miniature Nippy outfits were popular for children [[dressing up]] for special events such as [[fete|fetes]].