As the corporate world scurries to satisfy a new generation of customers who have grown hypersensitive to racial issues after the death of George Floyd under police custody, Nestle has announced that it will be rebranding the Red Skins and Chicos brand.
Nestle has denounced their own sweets, saying the racially charged origins of their products are “out of step” with the current consumers. Sold in the Australian market, the brands were already controversial even before the global wave of anti-racism came to Australia.
Allen’s, the Nestle-owned company that produces these sweets, announced through their Facebook account that the decision is to ensure that their products do not marginalize or offend members of the community.
Both of the names undoubtedly have racial origins. Redskins is a racial slur that refers to the Native Americans, while chico, despite its ordinary meaning in Spanish, is widely considered a racial slur referring to Latin Americans.
The company acknowledged that the customers have continuously filed complaints and comments that urged them to rebrand the sweets, even before the George Floyd protests.
Although the product itself will not change, the names are expected to be changed and rebranded in the following weeks. Nestle has not announced any specific candidates that they were considering.
Nestle, the mother company of Allen’s, said that the basic philosophy of the company is mutual respect. Thus it can be expected that the name and mascot will likely be one that does not have any derogatory basis.
Of course, the Australian sweet isn’t the only brand that uses the term Redskins. American readers will be much more familiar with the NFL team based in Washington D.C.
While there has been a nationwide movement to urge the team and the NFL to rename the Redskins, the largest stakeholder of the team has refused to do so.
Nestle joins a growing list of companies who are rebranding or retiring brands that have racial undertones. From Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben’s to Eskimo Pie, some of the largest food companies have announced that they will rebrand brands so that they are better suited for the times.
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Replaced!