Instructions: Write a 260-word press release representing the Ouaker Oats Company announcing the company’s new logo replacing Aunt Jemima on the company’s syrup and pancake mixes. Be sure to include information on how the new logo was chosen, how proud the company is to announce the new logo and background information on why the Aunt Jemima log0 was removed from Quaker Oats products. Be sure that the press release adheres to the format discussed in class. Include a boilerplate paragraph at the end of the press release on the Quaker Oats Company. Do not copy information from the news story and put it directly into your press release. Background info on ousted advertising logos from last summer: After decades of criticism for how their products have perpetuated racial stereotypes, four iconic brands announced change was coming within hours of one another. First, Quaker Oats said it would retire Aunt Jemima from packaging on its brand of syrup and pancake mixes, (Links to an external site.) acknowledging its prior work to update the character was “not enough.” Then in rapid succession Wednesday, the owners of Uncle Ben’s (Links to an external site.) , Mrs. Butterworth’s (Links to an external site.) and Cream of Wheat (Links to an external site.) said their products’ packaging also would be reviewed. The rebranding announcements – considered long overdue by experts, historians and some consumers – come at a time when companies face increasing pressure to boost diversity efforts and combat racism in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream said in a statement to USA TODAY that its Eskimo Pie brand would be renamed. (Links to an external site.) “I think a lot of these brands really need to look at the contributions, or lack thereof, that have contributed to a lot of the systemic issues,” said Mike Jackson, founder of Los Angeles-based 2050 Marketing. “This is a real movement and this one feels really, really different.” Gasby says PepsiCo shrugged off his request: “There wasn’t that critical mass of indignation, a sheer awareness of how bad it is. “Now we know how bad it is. There’s a tectonic shift that is taking place, and what the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back is watching a man being executed in slow motion and having that in your face.” The decision to rename and repackage Aunt Jemima came a day after a TikTok video (Links to an external site.) from singer Kirby titled “How To Make A Non Racist Breakfast” went viral. In the short video, Kirby gives a history lesson of the 131-year-old brand, noting the name means “slave mammy on the plantation South” and the brand’s white founder got the name after attending a “minstrel show.” “Black lives matter, people,” Kirby said as she dumps a box of the pancake mix in the sink. “Even over breakfast.” The Aunt Jemima pancake mix has been around for 131 years. The first Aunt Jemima image was based on Kentucky native Nancy Green, a Civil War-era slave from Mount Sterling, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Originally, Aunt Jemima was shown with a wide smile and wearing a bandanna in her hair, an image that faced criticism for years as it was accused of encouraging racist stereotypes. In 1989, the image was revamped, with the new model wearing pearl earrings and straightened curls. Some associate the shape of bottles of Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup with the “Mammy,” a racial caricature of Black women rooted in the history of slavery in the United States. Cream of Wheat has long been criticized for the use of a grinning Black chef on its packaging since the 1890s. The mascot on early boxes was known as Rastus, a caricature of a jolly, former slave often featured in minstrel shows. David Pilgrim, the director and founder of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the announcements, which he called powerful, symbolic gestures. Press release example: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Diane Shaw Public Information Specialist 408-326-4221 Aunt Jemima to be Rebranded as Mother’s (San Jose) April 13, 2020–The Quaker Oats Company is proud to announce that all Aunt Jemima products are to be rebranded as Mother’s. The Quaker Oats Company is devoted to remedying the deep pain the Aunt Jemima image has caused across its 131 years of use. We apologize to Nancy Green and her descendants and also to the many women who have been exploited for their portrayal of the Aunt Jemima logo. The change is a result of retrospection and collaboration, and we are proud to retire the use of a brand name that was based on harmful stereotypes and imagery. We are delighted to have changed the brand name to Mother’s, an homage to the many great women who provide for their families with our various Quaker Oats Company products. The brand’s new logo is a superhero, just as many mothers are. With a red, white and yellow jumpsuit and a blue cape, Mother’s products will show the power and importance that mothers have in our society. On each of our boxes we will include stories about Mother’s namesake, a crime-fighting, kind woman who fights injustice and oppression wherever she encounters it. Mother’s brand will provide delicious, healthy food to all those who enjoy it. The brand’s pancakes and syrup will still have the same great flavor and ingredients as before. Trademarked in 1877, The Quaker Oats Company is owned by Pepsico, Inc. and hosts an abundance of high quality products. The Quaker Oats Company is dedicated to implementing the healthiest ingredients in all the goods we provide. Customer satisfaction is our guarantee.