"Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jills" may be the new tune in stadiums this upcoming baseball season.
On Tuesday, PepsiCo's (PEP) Frito-Lay announced Cracker Jills will be a permanent member of its snack roster as a way to celebrate women who break down barriers in sports. The snack will be available in pro ballparks and via a $5+ donation to the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF). In addition, PepsiCo will donate $200,000 to the foundation.
The reimagined classic uses the same recipe as the 125-year old classic Cracker Jack but features five different representations of women on the special-edition bags. The five "Jills," which were brought to life by artist and model Monica Ahanonu, were inspired by the most represented ethnicities in the U.S. according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
“We are constantly inspired by the many women who are making history by breaking the mold, and we want to celebrate their achievements while supporting the progress,” said Tina Mahal, vice president of brand marketing at Frito-Lay North America. “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’ve introduce Cracker Jill to show girls that they’re represented even in our most iconic snacks.”
Frito-Lay also worked with artist Normani to reimagine the iconic song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” to include Cracker Jill.
Cracker Jack is not the first brand to reimagine classic characters of late. In January, M&M's announced an update to its characters' personalities to underscore the importance of self-expression and power of community.
Brooke DiPalma is a producer and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.
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