Nestlé announces letting go of its ‘Pineapple man’ icon for being “offensive to middle-class Australians”
Confectionary giant Nestlé has announced plans to rebrand its Allen’s ‘Pineapple’ Lollies due to overtones of the mascot being “out of step” with current values.
Marketing manager for the brand, Roger Cordery, said the sunglasses-wearing pineapple icon on the product’s packaging looked too “middle-class bogan” and that it was insulting to a large contingency of the product’s customer base.
“The pineapple character looks a lot like a FIFO with a bad tan coming home from his first mad trip to Bali,” said Mr Cordery.
In a statement, Nestlé said the decision was made to ensure “nothing we do marginalises our friends, neighbours and colleagues, not even the middle-class ones”.
Nestlé added: “These names have overtones which are out of step with Nestlé’s values, which are rooted in respect. Respect for our Native American friends – which is why we have dropped the name ‘Red Skins’. Respect to our Mexican friends (ditto, Chicos). And respect now for the average Aussie battler who’s been terribly hard-done-by of late.”
The company said it has yet to finalise the product’s new name, but hints it will be something in the form of a sad white man in a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops.
Regular Allen’s lolly-eater Peter Arnott from Woombye, Queensland wrote on Twitter, “Peter Piper put a pepper on a pickle and then we’ll all be happy and can go home to eat our lollies with peace of mind.”
Another Twitter writer wrote: “Pineapples Lives Matter” which has subsequently been shared some 200,000 times.
The product name change follows a slew of similar decisions made by companies and big brands amid the Black Lives Matter movement.
Other brands that have dropped their classic monikers include Aunt Jemima’s, Eskimo Pie, and Bob’s Your Uncle.
Laura Whatalodov
Note: It wouldn’t surprise us if the above story were true; alas Pineapple Man is alive and well on the packaging of Allen’s Pineapple Lollies. Strangely, Red Skins and Chicos are also still available in shops, despite the hype of their names being changed…
CREAM MAGAZINE 
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