Make me brand new: how companies tinker with their brands and logos to keep up with America's ever-changing cultural and political landscape.

• Author: Majerol, Veronica
• Position: MEDIA

GETTING OUT OF THE KITCHEN

Since her introduction in 1936, the fictional Betty Crocker has had seven updates to "reflect the changing faces of American women," according to General Mills. In 1972, at the height of the women's movement, the company says it made Betty more businesslike to symbolize "American women's newly significant role outside the home." Betty's last makeover was in 1996, but her portrait has since been phased out. "One of the things we're all struggling with," says brand expert Matt Ryan of Euro RSCG Worldwide, "is the notion that one person can represent any single cohort of potential customers."

1946

2012

NIPS & TUCKS

The face-lift is intentionally subtle. Because oatmeal eaters tend to be health-conscious, Quaker wanted a more vital icon, but it didn't want to drastically change the fictional "Larry," a familiar face after 66 years. So the company reduced his double chin and trimmed his hair.

1890s

1989

OLD SOUTH & NEW SOUTH?

With her bandanna and eager-to-serve smile, the first Aunt Jemima--a name borrowed from an old minstrel song--was a stereotypical Southern mammy. The image of Nancy Green (left), a former slave from Kentucky, began appearing on pancake-mix boxes in the 1890s. She was given a subtle makeover in 1968 and a completely new look in 1989, when she lost her bandanna and put on a lace collar and pearl earrings.

Larry, the fictional guy who's appeared on Quaker Oats packages since 1946, is getting a makeover: His face will get a bit slimmer and his hair a bit shorter. It's all part of an effort to keep the 135-year-old Quaker Oats brand "fresh and innovative," a company spokesman recently told The Wall Street Journal.

Until the second half of the 19th century, Americans didn't think about "brand images," logos, or package designs. They bought generic coffee, sugar, and soap at the general store from a shopkeeper they knew and trusted.

But when the Industrial Revolution ushered in the era of mass-produced goods available in stores around the country, companies began introducing brand icons like Betty Crocker, Uncle Ben, and Aunt Jemima. In a way, they replaced shopkeepers as a guarantor of quality to consumers.

Over the years, though, some brand personalities--or the logos that also represent products and companies--have fallen out of touch with the culture of the times. Some even start to seem sexist or racist by modern standards. To avoid negative associations that could harm sales, companies sometimes...