Cracker Barrel’s ‘sterile, soulless branding’ sparks political backlash, $94 million market hit | Analysis | Campaign Asia

Cracker Barrel barrelled into the news cycle this week with the reveal of a controversial new logo. 

Since 1977, the country-style chain’s branding has included a man in overalls leaning on a barrel, now simplified to “Cracker Barrel” written on a gold background. The words “Old Country Store” have also been removed. 

The rebrand, which was part of Cracker Barrel’s All the More campaign, also includes modernised renovations of its 600 U.S. locations and fall menu items like a butter pecan French toast bake and hashbrown casserole.

“People like what we’re doing. Cracker Barrel needs to feel like the Cracker Barrel for today and for tomorrow — the things that you love are still there,” said Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino in a Good Morning America interview on Tuesday. 

Cracker Barrel did not respond to requests for comment.

Despite Felss Masino’s claims of positive sentiment, Cracker Barrel lost $94 million in value in one day after revealing the logo. President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again base is rejecting the rebrand, claiming it “scrapped a beloved American aesthetic and replaced it with sterile, soulless branding.”

“In college, I worked at @CrackerBarrel in Tallahassee. I even gave my life to Christ in their parking lot. Their logo was iconic, and their unique restaurants were a fixture of American culture. No one asked for this woke rebrand. It’s time to Make Cracker Barrel Great Again,” wrote Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) on X.

In college, I worked at @CrackerBarrel in Tallahassee. I even gave my life to Christ in their parking lot.

Their logo was iconic and their unique restaurants were a fixture of American culture.

No one asked for this woke rebrand. It’s time to Make Cracker Barrel Great Again pic.twitter.com/rqsPgPxwxY

— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) August 21, 2025

“WTF is wrong with Cracker Barrel ??!,” Donald Trump Jr., the president’s oldest son, wrote under a post by the Woke War Room criticising Fells Masino’s “DEI regime” and calling for her resignation.

While some politicians have been vocal about the logo being too “woke” and “boring,” they’re not the only ones talking about the Tennessee-based brand’s rebrand. 

Here’s what PR pros are saying … 

“Their creative solution was to use the delete key,” wrote Samuel Cohen, VP of strategy and business development at Voodoo Brands. “Apologies if this is harsh, but I think a $4 billion annual revenue company could aim a bit higher.”

“Where’s the thick-gravy type? The cinnamon-roll curves? The Southern charm and road-trip knick-knacks? I want more rocking chairs and rock candy — not this minimalism, gluten-free logo with a side of rosemary. Save that for the cities. Not the country store,” said Blake Howard, creative director of Machstic. 

Meanwhile, some in the PR space are “inspired” by Cracker Barrel and imagining logo rebrands for other American chains.

“They removed one of their most distinctive brand codes: the man sitting on the barrel … Logos aren’t just decoration—they’re mental shortcuts. They’re how people recognise you on a crowded shelf, a highway billboard or a mobile screen. Distinctive assets like mascots, symbols and image marks are what [marketing professor] Byron Sharp would call money makers,” wrote Jonathan Sankey, brand strategist for Australian design agency Cut Thru.

“I respectfully disagree. The so-called “trend” toward minimalistic branding is really driven by shrinking form factors — brands must design their systems to work at the smallest scale, from an app icon to the app itself,” Noah Barnett Suppin, a product designer for Charles River Laboratories, replied under Sankey’s post. 

This story first appeared on PRWeek U.S.