The Bush’s Beans guy, Jay Bush, who appeared in the company’s commercials alongside his talking dog Duke, is still alive and part of the family-owned business, but he has taken a step back from the advertising spotlight.
Jay Bush is the great-grandson of A.J. Bush, the founder of Bush Brothers & Company, which is known for its Bush’s Best brand baked beans. Jay became the face of the company in the 1990s when he starred in television commercials with Duke, a Golden Retriever who was portrayed as Jay’s dog. In these ads, Duke often attempted to sell the secret family recipe for their baked beans.
While Jay Bush is not as prominently featured in the company’s marketing campaigns as he once was, he remains involved with the family business. Over the years, the company has updated its marketing approach, and the commercials have evolved. The role of Duke has been played by several different dogs, and the character of Jay has been less central in recent advertising campaigns.
Bush Brothers & Company was founded in 1908 in Chestnut Hill, Tennessee, and has grown to become one of the leading brands in the canned bean market in the United States. The company’s decision to shift its advertising strategy is a common practice in the industry to keep the brand fresh and appealing to new generations of consumers. Despite the changes in their marketing, the Bush family continues to maintain the quality and tradition that the company has been known for over a century. Jay Bush’s reduced presence in commercials does not reflect a change in the company’s ownership or management, but rather a strategic marketing decision.