Say bye-bye to the Eskimo Pie.
No, the delicious ice cream treat is not actually going away, thank goodness. But, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, the manufacturer of the frozen confection, has changed the product’s name. The company called the moniker “derogatory” earlier this year and halted production of the ice cream bar until company officials could re-invent the product’s name and logo.
Dreyer’s has now announced that the new name of the chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream bar will be Edy’s Pie, which is a tribute to one of the company’s founders.
“We are committed to being a part of the solution on racial equality, and recognize the term is derogatory,” said Elizabell Marquez, head of marketing for Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, in June. “This move is part of a larger review to ensure our company and brands reflect our people values.”
Dreyer’s was one of several companies to re-evaluate its marketing strategy in light of a growing movement against using racial stereotypes to promote products. Brands such as Cream of Wheat, Aunt Jemima, and Uncle Ben’s have already announced changes to their product identities.
Here’s the statement from Uncle Ben’s Twitter account, which became Ben’s Original earlier this year.
We have a responsibility to help end racial injustices. We’re listening to consumers, especially in the Black community, and our Associates. We don’t yet know what the exact changes or timing will be, but we will evolve Uncle Ben’s visual brand identity. pic.twitter.com/n0e1pZ75OF
— Ben's Original USA (@BensOriginal) June 17, 2020
“The name Edy’s Pie was chosen in honor of one of our company’s founders, candy maker Joseph Edy, as well as a form of tribute to the entrepreneurial origins of this treat,” Marquez told TODAY. “The Eskimo Pie was created over 100 years ago by a candy store owner who wanted to appease a young boy’s indecision on whether to buy ice cream or a chocolate bar with his nickel — he invented a way to coat ice cream with melted chocolate, and the rest was history.”
The new product logo and packaging will debut next year, Marquez said in a statement, as reported by Fox Business News.
“We anticipate Edy’s Pie ice cream bars to be on shelf in early 2021,” Marquez said. “Our mission at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream is to bring joy to everyday life with ice cream and we look forward to our Edy’s Pie ice cream bars continuing to do just that.”
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
