Mars drops Uncle Ben's brand after racial stereotyping backlash
Uncle Ben's rice products will be renamed Ben's Original after its owner Mars acknowledged that the logo depicting an elderly African-American man promoted racial stereotypes.
The revamped Ben's products, which feature the same blue font, orange packaging and half of the name, will hit shelves in 2021.
Fiona Dawson, head of Mars’ food business, said: "It’s time for him to retire."
Ms Dawson pointed out that the term "Uncle" had overtones of servility and had sometimes been used disparagingly in the US to refer to black men. "Clearly that’s something we would not want to be associated with," she said.
The move is the latest example of the corporate world dropping longstanding labels in response to concerns around racial inequality prompted by the black lives matter movement.
PepsiCo abandoned the brand image of its Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup in June.
Mars acquired the rights to easy-cook rice during the second world war and the Uncle Ben’s brand was adopted in 1947.
The character depicted on the label is a fictitious rice farmer from Texas supposedly renowned for his high-quality crop.
The image was based on Frank Brown, a maître d’ at an exclusive Chicago restaurant, who posed for the Uncle Ben's portrait.
Ms Dawson said Mars decided to rebrand the products after consumers and employees requested a change.
She added that alternatives to Ben’s Original were considered, but the company decided to "keep what we can of the past" while adopting a more "equitable iconography".
"Ben is clearly associated with the brand. People don’t see anything with any negative qualities with the name Ben, so that’s why we’ve chosen to keep it," she said.
