It’s a symbolic gesture, but an important one, nonetheless. After 116 years, the famous Barnum’s Animal Crackers have a brand new box design – and the details are important.
To refresh your memory, here’s what the old box looked like.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
Now here’s the new design for the packaging.
That’s right, the animals have been “freed” – they are no longer in cages and behind bars. A push from folks at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) helped to spark the change.
The new design shows the animals walking across the savannah with no bars, cages, or chains in sight. PETA’s people got in touch with the company back in 2016 and suggested it might be a good idea to show the animals in their natural environments.
Several companies make animal crackers, but Nabisco’s Barnum brand has been the most popular for decades. The brand was named after the legendary P.T. Barnum, and Nabisco started manufacturing the cookies in 1902. Obviously, attitudes towards animals have changed since then.
Times have changed so much that in May 2017, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus closed business for good.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
In a statement, PETA said, “The new box for Barnum’s Animals perfectly reflects that our society no longer tolerates caging and chaining exotic animals for circus shows.”
Bravo! Any progress is good these days…
