Arm & Hammer must have some pretty good branding because it's the only thing I think of when I hear baking soda. A truly American brand, it got it's start in 1846 in Rochester, New York when Dr. Austin Church figured it would be cheaper to make it locally than to continue importing it from Europe. Working with his salesman brother-in-law, John Dwight, sales and brand loyalty developed for their "Cow Brand Baking Soda". After Dr. Church's retirement in 1867 his sons, who owned the Vulcan Spice Mills adopted the commercial trademark still in use today.

The logo depicts Vulcan, the mythical god of fire, with an anatomically impossible image of a left shoulder and a right hand, holding a hammer and striking an imagined anvil. For centuries this has been known as a symbol of labor, skill and the positive benefits of good hard work. The symbol has been such a powerful emblem that it was adopted into the Wisconsin state flag in 1848 and in 1904 became the official symbol of the Socialist Party of America. Today, one glimpse of the yellow box, or the familiar red and blue arm and hammer trademark and you instantly know what the product is.