“I grew up with these products along with others I did not include, I never thought any of these products as racial or offensive I simply just thought of them as food” What the hell people find something worth bitching about
Time for a Change
This year’s massive protests over racism and police brutality have led to a wave of rebranding from people, products, and companies that want to make sure they’re on the right side of history. These sudden image changes are nothing new, however — rebranding is a time-honored way to keep up with changing consumer tastes or recover from public relations nightmares like corporate scandals. Here are some of the most notable transformations
Uncle Ben’s
The box of rice in your pantry may soon be getting a new look. Mars, owner of the Uncle Ben’s brand, says recent protests over racial injustice mean "now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity." It’s unclear what the new logo will look like, but it’s a safe bet that the bowtie-wearing Black rice farmer (whose image was actually based on a Chicago waiter) will be gone.
Land O’ Lakes
Notice something different about your butter? Land O’ Lakes recently redesigned its logo, leaving off the Native American woman who has been on its packaging for nearly 100 years. While the brand publicly says the changes were meant to emphasize its relationship with dairy farmers, most observers see the rebranding as a convenient way to get rid of a "embarrassing, outdated, and downright racist" logo.
Aunt Jemima
In what might be the most prominent food rebranding related to this year’s racial unrest, Quaker announced that its eponymous Aunt Jemima syrup will soon get both a new name and a new logo. The brand’s origins were "based on a racial stereotype," executives have acknowledged, and the logo had already been tweaked several times, most recently to remove a kerchief from Aunt Jemima’s head.
Mrs. Butterworth’s
Aunt Jemima isn’t the only brand of syrup in line for an update. Its Conagra-owned counterpart, Mrs. Butterworth’s, is undergoing a brand and packaging review, Though the brand has said its syrup is supposed to "evoke the images of a loving grandmother," others say it perpetuates slavery-era stereotypes similar to Aunt Jemima.
Eskimo Pie
What might have been your favorite childhood ice-cream treat will also soon adopt a new name. "Eskimo," considered offensive by indigenous groups like the Inuit, will get the heave-ho, and the same fate is likely for the product’s mascot, a young boy in a furry hooded robe and boots. Parent company Dreyer’s says it "recognizes the term is derogatory" and has been reviewing the brand, recently acquired from Nestle, for some time.
Cream of Wheat
This decades-old brand of hot wheat cereal announced over the summer that it, too, would perform "an immediate review" of its brand packaging. The label owned by B&G Foods includes the image of a smiling Black chef in a bowtie based on an offensive stereotype. The company says it "will proactively take steps to ensure that we and our brands do not inadvertently contribute to systemic racism."
