A delightful British poster ca. 1930 for the Oxo soup. A typical English staple Oxo is a brand of food products, including stock cubes, herbs and spices, dried gravy, and yeast extract. In 1908, Oxo sponsored the London Olympic Games (despite claims by Coca-Cola to being the 'first' commercial sponsor of the Games) and supplied athletes with Oxo drinks to fortify them. During the first half of the 20th century, Oxo was promoted through issues of recipes, gifts and sponsorships before fading into the background as a part of the fabric of English life in the latter parts of the century.