"Coon Cheese" Has Finally Changed Its Name to "Cheer Cheese" to Be More Inclusive

Following in the footsteps of Red Rippers and Cheekies.

After decades of campaigning and much debate online, Coon Cheese has finally changed its name to reflect the inclusivity of the brand and remove its racist connotations.

Saputo Dairy Australia confirmed earlier today that the branding would be changed to 'Cheer Cheese'.

The company confirmed that they had plans to change the name in July last year, just a month after Allen’s had pledged to change the names of two of their controversial lollies.

Chair and CEO of Saputo Inc Lino, A. Saputo, explained that as a company, one of their basic principles is to treat everyone with respect.

"Treating people with respect and without discrimination is one of our basic principles and it is imperative that we continue to uphold this in everything we do," he said.

"Our decision to change the name of Australia’s much-loved cheese reinforces this commitment to build a culture of acceptance, inclusion and respect where everyone feels a sense of belonging."

Image: Saputo Dairy Australia

Why the name change?

Basically, the reason for the name change is because the word ‘coon’ is considered a racial slur against Indigenous Australians, Pacific Islanders and people with African heritage. The word's intention is to be extremely disparaging and offensive.

"After thorough consideration, Saputo has decided to retire the COON® brand name. We are working to develop a new brand name that will honour the brand-affinity felt by our valued consumers while aligning with current attitudes and perspectives," the company said in a statement last year.

"At Saputo, one of our basic principles as an organisation is to treat people with respect and without discrimination and we will not condone behaviour that goes against this.

"We believe we all share in the responsibility to eliminate racism in all its forms and we feel this is an important step we must take to uphold this commitment."

Question: just heard on the news that Coon cheese is changing their name to “cheer” cheese to spread cheer and reflect the sign of the times
Now I have heard “coon” is a racist term. I don’t get it. What does coon suppose to mean?
I am out of the loop on these terms

— Stephanie Hunter International Escort (@EliteStephanie) January 12, 2021

With suspected origins from the 1830s, the word was used when referring to people who were kept as slaves. It then became an offensive slur against black people in the modern-day.

Activists in Australia have been campaigning to change the name for years but the issue reached popular awareness last year when the Black Lives Matter movement captured the attention of the world.

At the time, many brands were taking a step back and reconsidering how their brand's names, slogans, and references may be impacting minority groups and Indigenous peoples, in an effort to combat systematic division and racism.

There is some confusion about how the name of a brand can contribute to systematic racism, but the reality is that it is about the normalisation and representation of the word.

Essentially, when we regularly use offensive slurs in our everyday language, it normalises that word and makes people feel like it’s okay to use it, even if it’s not intended to be offensive.

Cheers to this! (I am so sorry) https://t.co/zLFxF8D50F

— Freya Noble (@freyanoble) January 13, 2021

So, where did the name ‘Coon Cheese’ come from?

You might be wondering how on earth Coon Cheese got away with their brand name in the first place.

The brand was Coon cheese, as it is named after a man called Edward William Coon, who was from Philadelphia.

— Sam Lewis (@Cardinal7477) January 13, 2021

Well, that wasn’t their intention. Back when the brand was founded in the 1930s, it was named after a man called Edward William Coon, who patented a method of maturing cheese, subsequently being known as ‘Cooning.’

So, while the origins for the name aren’t intended to be offensive, to keep the name would encourage the normalisation of a problematic word.

Why did they decide to go with ‘Cheer Cheese?’

Much like other brands who change their names due to controversial reasons, they do their best to keep some similarities between the old name and the new name so that it is easily recognisable to customers.

In Cheer Cheese’s case, Saputo Dairy Australia also wanted to make a statement, with their new name about inclusivity.

“CHEER Cheese is a cheese for everyone, and we trust our valued consumers and those who are new to our products will embrace this new name,” Commercial Director of Saputo Dairy Australia Cam Bruce said.

With the name change officially announced, we should expect to start seeing Cheer Cheese with its rebranded packaging in supermarkets by July this year.

Whether or not you're happy about the name change for this cheese brand, it’s important to remember that this is a step in the right direction.

Pass the Cheer cheese please

— Darren Collins (@DarrenCollins__) January 13, 2021

Header Image: Saputo Dairy Australia