Politixia
Cracker Barrel is the latest brand to receive backlash for its updated logo. Its classic image of “Uncle Herschel” leaning against a barrel has been axed in favor of a minimalist design featuring the restaurant‘s name scrawled across a barrel-shaped, yellow background.
While many have complained — both jokingly and not — about a loss of nostalgia with the upgrade, others –especially conservatives — have labelled the move as “woke.” Conservative activist Robby Starbuck has been particularly vocal regarding the change, believing it to be emblematic of the brand catering to the far left.
“It’s very, very important to understand that the Cracker Barrel story is not about a logo. It’s not at all about a logo, it is about a country, it is our heritage, and it is a culture. It’s about a power structure built to tell us that we are somehow backwards, embarrassing or bigoted,” Starbuck said, as per Fox News.
Cracker Barrel denies the update was politically motivated, but that hasn’t stopped them from receiving feedback from all sides. They’re also not alone, as brands that have revamped their image in recent years due to cultural and racial sensitivities have also been deemed “woke” for doing so.
Check out seven more brands below who were accused of going “woke” after updating their logos and/or monikers.
-
Aunt Jemima/ Pearl Milling Company
Image Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images. One of the most heavily-reported rebrands, the Aunt Jemima logo has been revamped several times since its 1889 founding due to its stereotypical depiction of Black women as “mammies.” The caricature was completely removed in 2021, and the breakfast line was rebranded as The Pearl Milling Company.
AnnouncementImage courtesy of 1000 Logos.
-
Uncle Ben’s/ Ben’s Original
Image Credit: Getty Images Similar to Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s Rice faced criticism for its logo playing on African-American stereotypes, leading to a rebrand as Ben’s Original, sans the image of “Uncle Ben” himself.
-
Cream Of Wheat
Image Credit: Cream Of Wheat logo. The original Cream Of Wheat logo featured a black chef named “Rastus”, which was often used in racist minstrel shows in the late 1800s, when the brand was founded. It was later updated to feature an image of real-life Chicago chef Frank L. White. Due to modern-day concerns about racist stereotypes, however, his image was removed in 2020.
-
Land O’Lakes Butter
Image Credit: Land O’Lakes Butter The original Land O’Lakes Butter logo featured an indigenous woman named “Mia” dressed in Native-American garb. Her image was officially removed from the logo in 2020.
Announcement -
Eskimo Pie/ Edy’s Pie
Image Credit: Eskimo Pie/ Edy’s Pie The original Eskimo Pie logo features a caricature of a Native Alaskan, which some found offensive. It was rebranded to Edy’s Pie in 2020 as a nod to one of the co-founders of the Dreyer’s company, Joseph Edy, with the caricature removed.
-
The Washington Redskins/Commanders
Image Credit: Washington Commanders Logo The Washington Redskins rebranded to The Washington Commanders in 2020, as the term “redskin” is considered a racist slur against Native Americans.
Five years after removing the indigenous image from its logo and changing its name, Pres. Trump threatened to block the construction of a planned stadium in the DC area if the Commanders, “don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders.’”
-
The Cleveland Indians/Guardians
Image Credit: Cleveland Guardians logo. Similarly to the Commanders, The Cleveland Indians rebranded themselves as the Cleveland Guardians out of respect for indigenous Americans, with Pres. Trump also complaining about the “woke” move and imploring the team to return to its original name.
Announcement
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings