Vann Graves, executive director of the VCU Brandcenter, recently spoke with Michael Paul Williams of the Richmond Times Dispatch for an opinion piece analyzing Cracker Barrel’s attempted logo redesign and the cultural backlash that followed.
Graves explained that the company’s move to simplify its brandmark overlooked one of its biggest strengths: nostalgia. “Right now, with all of the political and social uncertainty, many Americans crave comfort and familiarity, something unspoiled by modernity,” he said. “Whether economic or sociopolitical, people are overwhelmed by disruption and change. People are tired.” He further explains that for loyal customers, “that old logo wasn’t just a design; it was shorthand for tradition, memory, and family.”
He noted that in today’s polarized climate, even a logo update can ignite larger debates about identity, values, and cultural memory. “Consumers project their political and cultural anxieties onto brands,” Graves said, adding that commerce has become “a stage for negotiating societal change.”