COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. -- McKee Foods, the parent company of Little Debbie, is rolling out a new look for the iconic American snack cake brand. The logo, which is meant to symbolize innocence and purity without looking old fashioned, has undergone subtle changes.
The company has started rolling out the new design in stores across the country, and consumers will seen it first on boxes of Chocolate Cupcakes. Eventually, the new logo will appear on more than 800 million cartons per year.
The changes:
- Little Debbie's auburn hair is darker and has fewer curls.
- She's wearing a more updated plaid shirt with a rounded Peter Pan collar. She wore a lace-embroidered collar before.
- She's still wearing a straw hat, but the hat string--or "stampede string"--was removed.
The first logo debuted in 1960 with the launch of Little Debbie. The logo was redesigned in 1985 as the brand expanded nationally. The company has updated the logo almost every 25 years. The new logo is the third based on a photograph of the real Little Debbie, which was taken in 1959.
Debbie McKee Fowler, aka Little Debbie, did approve the final design. "I love the new look," said McKee-Fowler, an executive vice president at Collegedale, Tenn.-based McKee Foods. "We thought it was best to make subtle changes as opposed to dramatic changes."
Chris McKee, executive vice president of marketing and sales for McKee Foods, said, "The previous logo looked a little dated, so it was time for a minor makeover. We opted to make subtle changes because we wanted to keep the same wholesome look that was based on an original portrait of my cousin, Debbie McKee-Fowler."
He added, "Just because the outside of the box may look a little different, what's inside is still the same--delicious, freshly baked snacks from our family to yours."
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