The logo is an extension of a handwritten signature and often is as recognizable as a human face. Back in 1366, the beer manufacturer Stella Artois first created a logo to identify their product, and you can still see that reference on the herald appearing on their labels today.
A variety of products and services depend on the public’s identification with their logos. Countless products–many with a century or more of existence–are associated with their creator rather than with what the actual product may be (think of adhesive bandages and soda, and Band-Aid(R) or Coke(R) may come to mind first), and the logo is immediately recognized even without its name.
Societal changes in taste and perception have caused some products to alter their names or logos. Recently the seasoning Mrs. Dash removed the marriage moniker from its products in 2020, so they are now simply known as Dash*. Rice is no longer packaged with the happy face of Uncle Ben; he is simply called the “originator” of the concept and has no visual depiction. Aunt Jemima has also vanished in favor of the product creator’s name, Pearl Milling Company.
This past week, the restaurant chain Cracker Barrel(R) redesigned its logo. Originally the trademark depicted a pinto bean with the name in its center; a flourish in the “K” lined the inside of the bean. Beside it, a graphic of a working-class gentleman clad in overalls, seated next to a barrel with his arm perched atop it. A type of barrel was used in early times to store and transport crackers, which is the origin of the chain’s name. The innocuous character is said to be the brainchild of founder Dan Evins, who wanted the logo to depict a welcome front porch atmosphere similar to old-fashioned gathering places such as family restaurants, where gossip flowed freely with the portions of gravy on your hot meal. He placed his locations, starting in 1963, on highways as rest stops when food might not otherwise be easy to come by, and he included country stores selling basic wares (along with souvenirs, toys and candy and fuel for a time). The porches are standard at all locations, along with rocking chairs. Inside, diners would find a fireplace in winter months. This is about as cozy as a logo could describe with just a man seated by a barrel. It was welcoming.
The new logo is simple, sporting just the name and no pinto bean shape, barrel, or that friendly fellow.
The outcry was instant, with stock value for the company dropping 100 million dollars. Seems nobody welcomes plain logos. Or is it that this switch is being perceived as a form of white cancel culture (if one can cancel Uncle Ben, they can cancel Mr. Cracker Barrel in turn)? Whatever the reason, the “modernization” of logos does not make a product or service any newer, nor does it bring in new patrons. In fact, some social media posts indicate they will not set foot in the restaurant again until the old logo is brought back.
This may be an experiment gone wrong, as the shift in who eats out changes with the departure of Boomers and older Generation X, who are now in their dawning senior years. The upcoming population doesn’t seem impressed by chain dining and the predictability of menus and atmosphere, so an old-fashioned country family restaurant may not suit them.
Not that Millennials haven’t heard of overalls or front porches. Just that they don’t seem to use them. Whatever may happen, this trend may continue or stop depending on long-term results of patronage. I have not been to a Cracker Barrel in some time, so perhaps it’s an opportunity to have myself a mighty helping of gravy next to a warm fireplace.
*(Dash is trademarked for its seasonings, but the word itself is not as it is a general term applied to various other products.)
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