Food Branding News of 2023

While there were countless brands that made news during 2023 due to name changes, logo changes, and entire brand refreshes, how many FOOD brands can you recall that transformed themselves?

Here's a recap of the memorable food industry brands that made marketing news during 2023:

1. Ronzoni announced that it would discontinue its star-shaped pasta. (January)

2. Pepsi announced that it would discontinue Sierra Mist, a lemon-lime flavored soda that had been available for 24 years, in favor of a newer drink to compete against rival Sprite. (January)

3. Dunkin' announced that it would discontinue a popular drink, the "Dunkaccino," a mixture of coffee and hot chocolate. (March)

4. Kraft Singles got a major makeover that featured a refreshed logo and new packaging. The redesign was to address the number one complaint from customers: "the inability to easily open the clear wrapper." (May)

5. Oscar Mayer's Wienermobile got a new name: the "Frankmobile." (May)

6. Burger King went "Hollywood" with the launch of the "Spider-Verse" Whopper on a RED bun. (May)

7. Pepsi launched its first-ever condiment called Pepsi "Colachup." (June)

8. To celebrate National Mustard Day on August 5, Skittles candy partnered with French's Mustard to create a limited-edition mustard-flavored fusion of candy called "Mustard Skittles." (July)

9. The battle for the "Taco Tuesday" trademark ended as Taco John's ended its dispute with Taco Bell. (July)

10. Rao's Homemade may be synonymous with Italian food and products, but the brand turned its attention to fashion and created limited-edition, luxury leather handbags in two styles: The Marinara and The Vodka Arrabbiata. (July)

11. Starbucks' pumpkin spice latter beverage celebrated its 20th anniversary. (August)

12. Music group Metallica launced the first-ever, guitar-shaped ice cream bar with a portion of the sales allocated toward the band's charitable foundation, All Within My Hands. (September)

13. Pringles announced a new collaboration with The Caviar Company, which paired the iconic chips with high-end caviar. The limited edition partnership was created due to the popular TikTok trend, which saw users adding a dollop of caviar onto Pringles. According to Mauricio Jenkins of Pringles, "From TikTok reviews to reality TV housewives, the nation is craving Pringles and caviar. Our partnership with The Caviar Company not only embraces the trending snacking behavior in an approachable manner, but expertly curates our beloved crisp flavors with this seafood delicacy for a Pringles tasting experience unlike one you’ve ever had before." (September)

14. Red Lobster's "Endless Shrimp" deal was so popular that it was forced to end. (November)

15. Kraft's Mac & Cheese launched a new dairy-free alternative called "Kraft NotMac&Cheese." Kraft partnered with NotCo, a company that makes plant-based foods to create the mac and cheese alternative, which was in response to the growing hunger for "better for you" products from American consumers. (November)

16. Denny's opened its first drive-thru in California. The first 100 customers received a custom mug and free coffee for a month. (November)

17. China, a nation of tea drinkers, now has more branded coffee shops than the United States, according to a report by World Coffee Portal. (December)

18. For National Cookie Day, Subway restaurants unveiled a "footlong cookie" in advance of the national launch of the oversized cookie in January 2024, when it will occupy a permanent spot on the chain's menu in all U.S. locations. (December)

And for those of you who are ice cream fans, let's not forget the pink Barbie-themed ice cream creations launched by both Cold Stone Creamery and Pinkberry to coincide with (and to promote) the summer's blockbuster!

Did these changes cause you to purchase more or less? Did these changes stand out in your mind? Were they good strategic decisions? What other food brands stood out as a result of their branding changes during 2023?


Image Credits: McCormick and Co. and PepsiCo Beverages North America.