Barnum’s Animal crackers box is getting a redesign in order to reflect the animals as being free rather than in captivity.
The popular crackers from Nabisco drew their fair share of criticism
as the design of the box shows the animals as circus creatures. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) pushed Nabisco to change the design of the box in a letter written in spring of 2016 as the organization has been battling animal cruelty in circuses for over 30 years.
“Given the egregious cruelty inherent in circuses that use animals and the public’s swelling opposition to the exploitation of animals used for entertainment, we urge Nabisco to update its packaging in order to show animals who are free to roam in their natural habitats,” PETA wrote in its letter.
Mondelez (NASDAQ:MDLZ) — the parent company of Nabisco — agreed to the changes suggested in PETA’s letter, creating a new design showing the animals roaming free. Plus, the brand’s name has also been changed, getting rid of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey names.
The circus had been around for 146 years, although it finally came to its senses and removed elephants from its shows in 2016 due to pressure from PETA and others. The circus then shuttered its doors for good in May 2017 as ticket sales had stagnated.