Eskimo Pie has received a new name after the company has ditched the “derogatory” term.
Following one hundred years after Eskimo Pie was invented in the home laboratory of Christian Kent Nelson, the dessert’s makers have officially ditched the name that is deemed racially insensitive by critics.
The rebranding of the popular product follows the footsteps of Aunt Jemima, Mrs Butterworth, and Uncle Ben’s.
According to the Eskimo Pie owners, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Holdings, which is owned by Nestlé, the popular ice cream will be known as Edy’s Pie starting 2021.
As the company’s head of marketing, Elizabell Marquez, also confirmed, the production of the ice cream has been paused and will resume in early 2021.
“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,” Marquez said.
The new name follows months after the company recognized the term Eskimo as “derogatory” and announced changes to its brand.
“We are committed to being a part of the solution on racial equality, and recognize the term is derogatory. This move is part of a larger review to ensure our company and brands reflect our people values,” Marquez said back in June.
The new name comes shortly after Mars, the company that owns Uncle Ben’s rice, announced a new name for the popular product after pressure from activists who suggested that the old name is linked to slavery.
As the multinational manufacturer announced in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, they are dropping the seven-decade-old name in order to “help put an end to racial injustices.”
According to the critics of the name Uncle Ben’s, white supremacists used to refer to older Black slaves as uncles because they didn’t want to call them misters, making the name along with the Black man in the logo evoke servitude.
“We listened to our associates and our customers and the time is right to make meaningful changes across society,” Mars global president Fiona Dawson said as the company announced it would undergo major rebranding.
“When you are making these changes, you are not going to please everyone. But it’s about doing the right thing, not the easy thing.”
Just weeks later, the company has confirmed that the name Uncle Ben’s is being retired as they announced the new name – Ben’s Original.
As Dawson confirmed at the time, the company is still deciding on the new logo that will accompany Ben’s Original.
Replaced!