As brands like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben face an overhaul, Jason Chambers sheds light on why it took so long
How do we make advertising and branding less racist? For Jason Chambers, an associate professor of advertising at the University of Illinois, this question has driven his life’s work.
As reckonings around racism in the US grow, a new focus has emerged: decolonizing the American supermarket. Last week, a bevy of multinational food and drink conglomerates, including PepsiCo (which owns Aunt Jemima) and ConAgra Foods (which owns Mrs Butterworth’s), announced major changes to brands that many shoppers have long felt uncomfortable supporting. These include Aunt Jemima, who many have long argued is a racist “mammy figure”, the “happy black cook” figurehead on Uncle Ben’s rice (owned by Mars Inc), and the perceived racist packaging of Mrs Butterworth’s. Cream of Wheat has also announced a review of its mascot.
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