As an Aussie living in the US, I try my best to keep up with the Australian news and happenings. I heard about the freakish giant dust storm that swept over Sydney (straight from "the outback") last week from the Sydney Morning Herald. My friend in Perth told me about the weakening real estate market... the twenty shark attacks last week (ha! kidding)... the plague of giant, bird-eating spiders (also kidding). But one thing that slipped my radar until just now has me quite stunned.
Chances are you've heard of Vegemite (and unless you're Australian, you probably haven't heard good things). You're missing out on something, people of America! I don't even know how to describe it but dang, seriously, it's the most comforting of comfort foods on crappy white bread toast, with lots of butter. It's black. It's salty. It's full of vitamin B. It's been around since the 1920s. That's about all I can tell you.
So when Kraft bought the brand a few years back, the Aussies weren't too happy about it. Just like how "our Nic" (Nicole Kidman) up and married a dude from Nashville, I guess. Kind of.
Imagine the furor when Kraft recently announced a new variation on the icon in the form of a cream cheese/Vegemite hybrid (mmmm) to be named... iSnack 2.0
That, people, is a bad name.
From The Australian
While denying the name is merely an attention-grabbing stunt, just two days after it was unveiled Kraft executives are refusing to say whether they will stick with the brand.
Kraft spokesman Simon Talbot said the company had expected debate about the new name, but admitted it had been caught off guard by the ferocity of the reaction.
"It's definitely not a stunt, you have my word on that," Mr Talbot told The Australian yesterday. "But we got a stronger public reaction than we thought we'd get.
"We are currently monitoring the social networks - the product is embedded, but I couldn't comment on the name."
Don't mess with the best, Kraft!