From Apple to Walmart to McDonald’s, many corporations have opted for minimalistic logos, a design choice that tends to look uninspired, bland and lifeless. As a result, people have developed an aversion to such logos, especially when the companies began with charming designs that had more personality. A prime culprit for this is the country-themed restaurant, Cracker Barrel. Not only did it receive backlash for the sudden and abrupt change, but it ended up backtracking on its initial decision.
While Cracker Barrel was founded in 1969, it did not have a logo until 1977. The logo created then would remain unchanged until earlier this year. It was a country-themed logo with brown and gold colors, setting the mood of a warm and cozy afternoon. Next to the name of the restaurant sat a man in a chair leaning on a barrel. People speculate this man to be Cracker Barrel founder Dan Evins’ uncle Hershel, who also happens to be Cracker Barrel’s goodwill ambassador.
With a logo that seemed to have a backstory, it is surprising that the company threw it away when they announced a new, simplified logo on Aug. 19. The revised logo merely contains “Cracker Barrel” in black text over a golden template and nothing else — a jarring and unnecessary change to say the least.
Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of criticism for the change, given how boring this new logo was. The company’s stock value dropped after the change, prompting a response from President Donald Trump.
“Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before,” Trump said on Truth Social.
It came as a surprise when Cracker Barrel revealed it would be walking back on its decision and keeping its old logo for the foreseeable future on Aug. 26. Though it may have feared the wrath of the stock market more than the general public, it is not every day one sees companies listen to public outcry.
While the initial logo change proved to be a polarizing decision, it is noble for a company to listen to its customers’ feedback and complaints, as insignificant as something like a logo change may seem.
