USA TODAY International Edition
Aunt Jemima brand renamed Pearl Milling Co.
Revamped Quaker Oats brands to arrive in June
Aunt Jemima is getting a new name. Quaker Oats is rebranding the venerable pancake brand as Pearl Milling Co.
The PepsiCo- brand announced the new name and logo Tuesday, nearly eight months after the company said it would retire Aunt Jemima from packaging on its brand of syrup and pancake mixes because it was “based on a racial stereotype.”
In June 2020, the breakfast brand announced plans to overhaul product imaging and change the name in the wake of renewed calls for racial equality.
The Pearl Milling Co.- branded pancake mixes, syrups, cornmeal, flour, and grits products are expected to start arriving in stores in June. Products will continue to be available under the Aunt Jemima name without the character image until June, Pepsi said in a news release.
The move, considered long overdue by experts, historians and some consumers, was the first in a series of rebranding announcements that grew to include Uncle Ben’s, Mrs. Butterworth’s, Cream of Wheat and Eskimo Pie.
The first Aunt Jemima image was based on Kentucky native Nancy Green, a Civil War- era slave from Mount Sterling.
Originally, Aunt Jemima was shown with a wide smile and wearing a bandanna in her hair, an image that faced criticism for years as it was accused of encouraging racist stereotypes. Quaker Oats bought the Aunt Jemima brand in 1925. And in 1989, the image was revamped, with the new model wearing pearl earrings with straightened curls.
Uncle Ben’s parent company Mars Inc. unveiled the rice brand’s new name last September: Ben’s Original. At the time, Mars said packaging with the new name will hit stores in 2021.
The new Pearl Milling Co. products will make a reference to the old brand, according to the imaging PepsiCo released. They say, “New name, same great taste, Aunt Jemima.”