Adweek reported the revamped Cracker Barrel logo experienced backlash from Internet mobs—including President Donald J. Trump and Donald Trump Jr.—who could all be called Cracker Critics.
Particularly dumb commentary came from the Chief Design Officer at TBWA\Worldwide, whose mutterings Adweek presented as follows:
[While] “the effort to modernize the brand by simplifying its identity and making it more legible and adaptable to a digital ecosystem” works, it risks “alienating loyal audiences. … Heritage brands must remember their identity is not just aesthetic, it’s cultural. … When updating visual codes, they’re not simply adjusting pixels or type curves, but symbols embedded in people’s everyday lives.”
On this topic, viewpoints from Adland should be summarily dismissed—and dissed.
After all, the industry never hesitates to quickly abandon heritage brands as White holding companies execute corporate colonization. TBWA routinely disrupts White advertising agencies by tagging its signature logo across iconic nameplates.
When White advertising agencies win accounts, the first order of business involves rejecting, razing, and rebuilding the acquired brand.
And now comes news that Cracker Barrel caved in to the pressure, announcing the Old Timer will be resurrected.
Where was the outrage when erasing Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, Rastus, and Mia? Will professionals and political leaders demand the restoration of those icons too?
In the end, the anti-woke wield more power than the anti-racist. White power trumps—clever wordplay intended—all advocacy for progress.
Cracker Barrel CMO Defends Rebrand After Stock Tumbles
The restaurant chain’s shares fell 7.2% on Thursday morning, two days after it unveiled its new logo
By Cydney Lee
On Tuesday (Aug. 19), Cracker Barrel unveiled a new logo, much to the chagrin of the internet.
Since its release, left and right-wing politicians, marketers, and consumers alike have criticized the switch, with some declaring it’s too “woke” and steers away from “American tradition.” Others have knocked the simplicity of the design.
“WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!,” Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, posted to X. The official X account for the Democratic Party echoed the statement, posting, “We think the Cracker Barrel rebrand sucks too.”
Following the backlash, the brand’s shares fell 7.2% on Thursday morning (Aug. 21), erasing $100 million in market value. Its shares rose slightly on Friday (Aug. 22) in pre-market trading.
However, Cracker Barrel is doubling down on its new look.
In a statement shared with ADWEEK, Sarah Moore, the brand’s chief marketing officer (CMO), said its “values haven’t changed, and the heart and soul of Cracker Barrel haven’t changed.”
“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,” she said.
‘All the More’
Cracker Barrel released the updated visual identity as part of its new “All the More” campaign, which also includes a 15-second spot starring country singer Jordan Davis, new menu items, and an interior design revamp of its restaurants.
The logo removed its longstanding old man and the barrel motif, replacing the image with a simple wordmark in the brand’s signature gold and brown.
Along with consumers, the ad industry is divided on the rebrand, too.
Bruno Regalo, chief design officer at TBWA\Worldwide, observed that while “the effort to modernize the brand by simplifying its identity and making it more legible and adaptable to a digital ecosystem” works, it risks “alienating loyal audiences.”
“Heritage brands must remember their identity is not just aesthetic, it’s cultural,” he told ADWEEK. “When updating visual codes, they’re not simply adjusting pixels or type curves, but symbols embedded in people’s everyday lives.”
He continued: “More than following design trends, it’s about keeping that soul alive—the distinctive elements that touch consumers emotionally—and reinterpreting them to feel current and relevant without losing what makes them unique.”
Kevin Green, executive creative director (ECD) at Moroch Agency, said the brand was the latest in a run to have stripped its brand of “any unique or ownable personality,” while plumping for a more modern aesthetic.
“There has to be a better balance between modernity and the magic that has built brands like Cracker Barrel for decades,” he said.
Indeed, other advertisers, including fashion label Burberry, have been critiqued for jumping on this so-called “blanding” trend, where a typeface replaces an image.
A Run of Controversial Brand Moments
While the move was intended to celebrate its 55+ year heritage, Cracker Barrel has faced previous boycotts over claims of discrimination due to its American South aesthetic and corporate policies.
It now joins a running list of brands that have stoked controversy and become a flashpoint in the U.S. culture wars over the last month, including American Eagle, Dunkin’, and e.l.f. Cosmetics.
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