Introducing Cracker Jill
Sheer Brilliance In a Bag
One form of Genius, at least to me, is looking at an everyday object in
a new way. We all do that from time to time. But True Genius
in our capitalist society is when
one's personal epiphany is elevated into a national marketing campaign that has
greater meaning than simply selling an old product in a new way. There
is no finer example of Sheer Brilliance than all that comes along with Cracker
Jill.
Meet Cracker Jill.
We all know the story. Jack and Jill went up the same hill together. Fell down together. In fact, it was Jack who first fell down, and broke his crown, causing the two to tumble down. But only Jack gets the World’s Best Caramel Popcorn named after him.
It's about time that Jill gets the credit she deserves. This is an issue that's not just about yummy confections in pretty bags — this is Justice and Equity.
Cracker Jill is also the most brilliant marketing campaign since Beanie Babies. Certainly, every girl in the grocery store will want a bag. Parents will gladly shell out the $2.50 for a bag to give to their daughters. The packaging is so compelling that I bought the last bag of Cracker Jill Ralph's Grocery had left. And I only bought it for the bag. I don't have a daughter and diabetes won't let me eat the World's Best Caramel Popcorn inside. It is simply the statement the bag makes that compelled me to put out $2.50 for my own Cracker Jill, which I subsequently gave to the only person I know named Jill. I sure hope her husband did not misunderstand the gesture.
Of course, I needed to know more about Cracker Jill. How did Cracker Jill come to be after all these years of Cracker Jack's hegemony in the candy popcorn space? As is often the case on any issue involving modern cultural trends, I truly expected to find that Cracker Jill has been around for years, and I just happened to notice the bag because it was predominantly placed at the checkout line. It turns out, however, nobody had thought about this before. That is astonishing. And also proves the Brilliance in a Bag that is Cracker Jill.
Cracker Jill was born in a PepsiCO Press Release dated April 5, 2022. Her birth certificate reads in part:
After more than 125 years as one of sport's most iconic snacks, Cracker Jack® is adding a new face to its roster, with the introduction of Cracker Jill™ to celebrate the women who break down barriers in sports. Tapping into the brand's rich history with America's favorite pastime, Cracker Jill™ comes to life through five different representations on a series of special-edition bags, which will be available at the start of this year's baseball season in professional ballparks across the country and through a donation of $5 or more to the Women's Sports Foundation.
She was also introduced to the world in a very famous song that every American has sung one time or another. Whether at a Big League Game or at our kid's Little League game, the old lyrics remained the same. Now here is a bit of the new lyrics.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jill
And, indeed, PepsiCo is correct in its assertion in its Press Release.
Cracker Jack has been part of sports for over a century, as records were made and rules changed. We've been so inspired by how girls and women are changing the face of the game, so in this spirit we introduce Cracker Jill to show girls that they're represented even in our most iconic snacks.
I had joked in a Tweet that Cracker Jill is probably illegal in Florida. No "woke snacks allowed." That quip turned out to be more than a joke, however. No one really knows what "woke" means, but in Florida it seems to mean what the New York Post reported, April 6, 2022, about Cracker Jill.
Pepsi’s rebranding of Cracker Jack comes several months after
Mars Inc. announced it is redesigning its M&Ms characters in order to
adapt to a more “progressive” world.
“At Mars we believe that in
the world we want tomorrow, society is inclusive,” the company said in a
statement. “And, as one of our most iconic brands, M&M’S is announcing a
new global commitment to create a world where everyone feels they
belong.”
Indeed, a society and a nation is composed of different demographic groups coming together for a common good. And, as the different demographic groups grow and change, so will the norms of that society change. And it is the resistance to the inevitable change that occurs when once marginalized groups now demand to take their place in society that lies at the heart of so many conflicts, large and small. To some poor soul trapped in the 1950s, I am sure Cracker Jill will look like one more indicator of the coming Apocalypse. Although sales do indicate that would be a minority opinion.
Using Ralph's Grocery store's stock of Cracker Jill as the barometer of acceptance of this change to the norm, it is clear that Cracker Jill has made a positive and definitive impact. I think Ralph's entire stock was sold out in 2 weeks. I am pretty sure I got the last bag. Cracker Jill is more than a hit. Cracker Jill is a bases loaded GRAND SLAM of Marketing. To which, this old hawker of goods and services must give a tip of his hat. Well done, PepsiCO! Well done, indeed.
Lastly, if you have a girl who is a future Women's Sports star, then by all means enter your little Angel in:
In closing, let me just say that I think all this is just one Cracker Jill of an idea. I am really unbiased here. I don't have a Jill and I can't eat anything candied. But I know true GENIUS when I see it.
Ain't no Artificial Intelligence here. Cracker Jill is the real deal. Sheer Brilliance In a Bag.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯