The Cracker Jack is a snack synonymous with American culture. As the song goes, “buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks” is a staple at any baseball game. Now, it appears a new snack can be added to that shopping list: Cracker Jill.
The new snack has been created in contrast to the Cracker Jack, in order to celebrate women in sports and culture, as well as to promote diversity in the industry. The new Cracker Jill snacks come in five different varieties featuring various representations of women, and will be available in ballparks starting this season.
“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,” Tina Mahal, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Frito-Lay North America said. “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 introduced Cracker Jill to show girls that they’re represented even in our most iconic snacks.”
The new snack will also be available by donating $5 or more to the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), to which Cracker Jack has already donated $200,000 towards to kick off the campaign. The WSF, founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, strives to enable young women to reach their goals, whether it be in sports or other facets of life.
“Our Foundation is an ally, advocate and catalyst to help unlock the possibilities in every girl and woman through the power of sport,” WSF CEO Danette Leighton said. ”Representation matters — it encourages and inspires the next generation. It’s wonderful to see Cracker Jill come to life, emphasizing the power that representation can have by celebrating women who’ve broken barriers.”
Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo that is in charge of Cracker Jack, also teamed up with prominent award-winning singer Normani to create a newly-imagined version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”. After rising to fame as a member of the group Fifth Harmony, Normani went solo, amassing numerous accolades during that period. Now, she has partnered with Cracker Jack to reimagine the song with a pro-women spin.
“As a young girl, I remember being inspired by athletes and artists who looked like me,” Normani said. “They made me believe that I could also achieve greatness as I watched them break barriers for women. I’m proud to be part of a campaign entrenched in inclusivity and empowerment because it’s vital for young girls to see themselves represented and join in on the celebration of the achievements made by the women before them.”
It’s time to move over, Jack, because Jill is taking center stage.
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