Cracker Barrel has changed its logo for the first time in 48 years—and people are cracking up about it online. The change has prompted backlash, including from conservatives, though many have taken to social media to ridicule the backlash.
A spokesperson for Cracker Barrel told Newsweek, "Our values haven't changed, and the heart and soul of Cracker Barrel haven't changed."
Why It Matters
Logo changes, branding, and advertising choices made by companies have become a hot-button issue online in recent years, often signaling the onset of online culture wars, as conservatives and social media users have criticized decisions made by brands, likening changes to being 'woke.'
What To Know
The Southern country themed restaurant chain first opened in 1969 and initially had a text-only logo. The name originates from a time in the 19th century when people would socialize around a barrel full of crackers in a country store. In 1977, the logo was updated to the one many will now recognize, with a man resting by a barrel. The restaurant said in a press release that the new logo is "rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and wordmark that started it all."
The logo was unveiled this week and has been introduced as part of Cracker Barrel's "All the More" campaign, which is designed to enhance aesthetics.
Before
After
The change has catapulted Cracker Barrel into the sphere of internet discourse, as people react to the logo change from one of America's most popular restaurant chains.
"Why would they remove the cracker & the barrel?" one social media user wrote on X in a post viewed over 9 million times, referring to the man in the logo by the sometimes pejorative slang term for a poor rural white person, usually from the South.
Another post, from Collin Rugg, a media personality, described the new logo as "depressing" and has been viewed over 5 million times as of reporting. In response to this, one social media user wrote, "Why change something that didn't need to change?" in a reply viewed over 140,000 times.
The response though, has not been all negative, as many have taken to social media to ridicule the backlash to the redesign. One post, viewed over 60,000 times on X from @AesPolitics1 reads "The people freaked about Cracker Barrel changing logos are why this country is so s***. Like, really out of all the issues this is what you care about? You're f****** jokes."
Cracker Barrel doesn't have an active presence on X, though it does on Instagram. The most recent post on Crack Barrel's X is from 2016, and this has been flooded with replies about the rebrand.
Who Is Julie Felss Masino? Cracker Barrel CEO
Masino was named President and Chief Executive Officer for Cracker Barrel in July of 2023. She had previously served as the President, International of Taco Bell from January 2020 to June 2023, and prior to this had held roles at Fisher-Price at Mattel, Inc., Sprinkles Cupcakes, and Starbucks.
Speaking on Good Morning America this week, Masino said that the feedback they had received so far has been "overwhelmingly positive."
What People Are Saying
Julie Felss Masino, speaking on Good Morning America: "Cracker Barrel needs to feel like the Cracker Barrel for today and for tomorrow -- the things that you love are still there. We need people to choose us, and we want people to choose us."
Cracker Barrel said in a statement shared with Newsweek over email: "Cracker Barrel has been a destination for comfort and community for more than half a century, and this fifth evolution of the brand's logo, which works across digital platforms as well as billboards and roadside signs, is a call-back to the original and rooted even more in the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all back in 1969."
Thomas Murphy, a professor of practice in Clark University's School of Business, shared a comment on the rebrand with Newsweek via email: "The desire to rebrand is typically driven by either a major change in consumer behaviors or a brand dramatically changing who they want to be going forward. In the case of Cracker Barrel they appear to be staying consistent with the products and experience they provide to the market. Their reason for making changes is the evolution of a younger audience who may not relate as much to the original brand."
@EndWokeness on X in a post viewed 1.5 million times: "Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino should face charges for this crime against humanity."
@bennyjohnson, in a post on X viewed 3.5 million times: "Cracker Barrel completely changed their iconic logo for the first time in 47 years … and it's absolutely horrible. When will they learn?"
Nina Turner, former Ohio State Senator, in a post on X: "People can't afford housing, groceries, and are going bankrupt if they get cancer. So naturally, conservatives are mad about Cracker Barrel's logo."
@trackingdonald, in a post on X viewed over 30,000 times: "The Cracker Barrel rebrand is upsetting the crackers."
What Happens Next
The country music artist Jordan Davis is starring in a new commercial for the brand and is set to host an event to launch the partnership in New York on August 21.
