The summer-long wave of demonstrations against police brutality sparked larger and much-needed conversations surrounding race, as well as a reckoning beyond reforming law enforcement. Brands long criticized for antiquated and racially insensitive elements have made or are in the process of making changes, such as Uncle Ben’s (now Ben’s Original), Aunt Jemima (uh, who knows?), and the NFL’s Washington Redskins (ah, yes, the Washington FOOTBALL Team).
However, this phenomenon isn’t limited to just the US. Plenty of global brands are now making changes to drop the more unsavory elements of their identity.
In Australia, for example, Nestle had already announced changes to two of its products—Redskins and Chicos—rebranding the products and removing their racist overtones. Now, Coon Cheese has also announced a significant makeover and relaunching as “Cheer,” finally listening to decades of feedback regarding the name, which is also an ethnic slur used against Aboriginal peoples.
The origin of the name is said to have started with Edward Coon, an American cheesemaker who developed a method for faster maturation. While the Coon brand has been controversial for decades, Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Australia gave the parent company Saputo enough of a kick in the pants to finally retire the super racist name.
“Our decision to change the name of Australia’s much-loved cheese reinforces this commitment to building a culture of acceptance, inclusion, and respect where everyone feels a sense of belonging,” Lino A. Saputo, chair and CEO of Saputo Inc., said in a statement.
The Cheer name will begin to roll out to supermarkets across Australia in July 2021.
