Stereotype Uncle Ben's, Aunt Jemima brands to end
Amid nationwide protests against racism, major US food companies on Wednesday said they would change the Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's brands, both of which feature African American mascots.
The United States has a long history of racist caricatures of African Americans and other minorities across popular culture, though in recent decades those images have become increasingly taboo.
Businesses across the world's largest economy are facing a reckoning over branding following last month's killing of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police in Minneapolis, which sparking many protests against racism.
PepsiCo said it would end entirely the Aunt Jemima line of pancake syrup and batter adorned with the face of a black woman, while Mars plans to "evolve" the Uncle Ben's brand of rice dishes that uses a black man as its logo.
"We recognize Aunt Jemima's origins are based on a racial stereotype," Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer of Quaker Foods North America, the PepsiCo subsidiary that produces Aunt Jemima, said in a statement.
"While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realise those changes are not enough."
The Aunt Jemima brand has existed for more than 130 years, and "has evolved over time with the goal of representing loving moms from diverse backgrounds who want the best for their families," according to PepsiCo.
The brand's image will be removed starting in the fourth quarter, while the company said a new name will be announced.
Mars was less clear about what it would do with Uncle Ben's, saying in a statement, "We don't yet know what the exact changes or timing will be, but we are evaluating all possibilities."
Businesses across the world's largest economy are facing a reckoning over branding following last month's killing of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police in Minneapolis, which sparking many protests against racism.
PepsiCo said it would end entirely the Aunt Jemima line of pancake syrup and batter adorned with the face of a black woman, while Mars plans to "evolve" the Uncle Ben's brand of rice dishes that uses a black man as its logo.
"We recognize Aunt Jemima's origins are based on a racial stereotype," Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer of Quaker Foods North America, the PepsiCo subsidiary that produces Aunt Jemima, said in a statement.
"While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realise those changes are not enough."
The Aunt Jemima brand has existed for more than 130 years, and "has evolved over time with the goal of representing loving moms from diverse backgrounds who want the best for their families," according to PepsiCo.
The brand's image will be removed starting in the fourth quarter, while the company said a new name will be announced.
Mars was less clear about what it would do with Uncle Ben's, saying in a statement, "We don't yet know what the exact changes or timing will be, but we are evaluating all possibilities."
