On the tide of the BLM movement and antiracist protests, many companies and brands are replacing their logos and names which could have racist connotation. One of them is Uncle Ben’s owned by Mars Inc. that has taken a decision to rename the brand to Ben’s Original and stop using the depiction of the black man.
The company has already recognized that its visual identity has a racist tinge rooted in the years and years of slavery. Among other brands, that responded to the BLM movement in the same way, also are Aunt Jemina, Cream of Wheat and Mrs. Butterworth’s. To bring about real changes, the rice brand promised to listen more to its customers, especially those from black communities.
Replacing the “Uncle” to the “Original”, the brand, nevertheless, has kept the historical and authentic aspect including the lettering in a bold serif typeface and colors – blue and orange. The packaging with the renovated visual identity is expected to appear in the early 2021.
Simultaneously with the unveiling of the new Ben’s look, Mars enhances cooperation with the National Urban League. The company is also planning to donate $2 million to a educational foundation supporting black chefs, as well as $2.5 million for programs in education and food supplying in Greenville, Mississippi, a city where Mars owns facilities producing foodstuffs.
