McKee Foods, the makers of Little Debbie Snacks, has given the Little Debbie logo a makeover. Rolling out now on select products, this is only the third version of the logo since the Little Debbie brand was introduced in 1960.
Consumers should start seeing the new logo on Little Debbie cartons over the coming months as McKee Foods’ independent distributors stock store shelves with freshly baked snacks. Based on current sales, the redesigned logo will appear on more than 800 million Little Debbie cartons annually.
The new logo is still based on the original photograph of McKee Foods’ EVP Debbie McKee-Fowler when she was just 3½ years old. She’s the granddaughter of the company’s founder, O.D. McKee. But the picture of the little girl has been updated.
Here are some of the changes that have been made to the Little Debbie logo:
• Little Debbie’s auburn hair is darker and has fewer curls.
• She’s wearing a more updated plaid shirt with a rounded “Peter Pan collar.” (She wore a lace-embroidered pointed collar before.)
• She’s still wearing the straw hat, but the hat string—called a “stampede string”—was removed.
• The red ribbon, with the name Little Debbie on it, also now has a more contemporary style.
“The previous logo looked a little dated, so it was time for a minor makeover,” said Chris McKee, EVP of marketing and sales for McKee Foods. “We opted to make subtle changes because we wanted to keep the same wholesome look that was based on an original portrait of my cousin, Debbie McKee-Fowler.”
After launching in 1960, Little Debbie did not redesign its original logo until 1985. The new logo change for 2013 took a year to complete and required 16 different renderings. Debbie McKee-Fowler approved the logo redesign herself.
“I love the new look,” she said. “We thought it was best to make subtle changes as opposed to dramatic changes.”
“Just because the outside of the box may look a little different, what’s inside is still the same—delicious, freshly baked snacks from our family to yours,” said Chris McKee.
