What Will Happen To Uncle Ben's Rice Now That They're Rebranding?
The past few weeks have seen a global resistance against systemic racism in all its forms, stemming from multiple Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality. Many western global industries have also been faced with accusations of racial discrimination, sexism, implicit bias, and other forms in which racism manifests, with these companies being forced to look inward to effect change, as affected people continue to stay on their necks.
In the food industry, Bon Apetit, a subsidiary of Condé Nast, faced public scrutiny after public accusations of racism against BIPOC employees surfaced. As such, editor-in-chief, Adam Rapoport also stepped down from his position after a photo of him in brown face surfaced online.
The latest brand to come under scrutiny is Uncle Ben’s, a subsidiary of Mars Inc., due to the mascot on the packaging, an elderly black waiter, an image that leans heavily on racist stereotypes, especially since the white-owned brand was founded in the 1940’s - the height of the Jim Crow era in America.
It also doesn’t help that the ‘uncle’ term on the packaging was used to address men of African-American heritage by white Southerners who defiantly refused to address them as “Mr”. Uncle Ben like Aunt Jemima, the mascot of the popular pancake mix has been described as a symbol of black servitude, a factor of covert racism.
Here in Nigeria, the conversation is completely different. For many Nigerians who live outside the context of institutionalised racism, imagery and stereotypes hardly ever inform their decision to consume a particular brand. Quality, social class, quantity and pricing are some of the factors that influence the food market in Nigeria.
Now that Mars Inc. has announced a much overdue upheaval of the Uncle Ben’s brand, what will happen to their Nigerian consumers who have come to identify the brand as a symbol of quality?
For Kemi*, a young Nigerian living in Lagos, her preference for Uncle Ben’s has more to do with the fact it is the best long grain rice she can find. “I was never buying because of the black man on the cover. My love for Uncle Ben's rice has strictly been about my stomach and the quality of the rice”, she says.
Unless this decision to rebrand will also affect the quality of the product, it is safe to assume that Uncle Ben’s rice is good over here in Nigeria.
Although name and image rebranding hardly ever ends up well for corporations, I guess we might have to contend with the endless design pitches from members of #DesignTwitter if this happens.
Names have been changed for anonymity.
Featured image credit: Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters