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Cracker Barrel partnered with three different marketing agencies on its controversial rebranding, according to a March 2025 press release.
According to the release on Cracker Barrel’s website, the company brought on marketing and PR firms Viral Nation, Prophet and Blue Engine as part of what it called a “bold strategic transformation to revitalize its iconic American restaurant brand.”
It is unclear how much influence each firm had on the rebranding — or which, if any, was responsible for the heavily criticized new logo. A version of the release also appears on Viral Nation’s website.
“Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. announced it has appointed industry-leading agencies to support its brand refresh, an important milestone in Cracker Barrel’s journey to strengthen its connection with both loyal and new guests,” the press release said.
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Cracker Barrel worked with multiple firms on its rebrand. (iStock / iStock)
Cracker Barrel faced intense consumer backlash after unveiling a new logo and redesigned stores that longtime fans said undermined what they loved most about the brand. The chain’s restaurants were long known for a kitschy Americana feel. By contrast, the new design was widely panned as drab and soulless.
The new logo sparked a social media uproar after Cracker Barrel unveiled a scaled-down version that removed the longtime image of an elderly man leaning on a barrel.
“The brand refresh, which is currently underway, includes visual elements, reimagined restaurant spaces, and innovative food and retail offerings – all while honoring the authentic hospitality and warmth that keeps guests falling in love with the brand,” the press release said.
The release also noted that Viral Nation was responsible for crafting a social media campaign for Cracker Barrel.
“The agency will develop end-to-end social media marketing solutions; curate, launch, and create innovative, high-volume content to resonate with new, socially-native audiences while maintaining engagement with Cracker Barrel’s core audience. This partnership will fuel the Company’s growth goals, expanding its digital presence and evolving the brand’s positioning within culture,” the press release said.
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Cracker Barrel’s logo change elicited a fierce social media outcry. (Cracker Barrel / Fox News)
Viral Nation previously partnered with Bud Light on its 35th Summer Celebration in Los Angeles, a campaign that targeted California’s Hispanic community and generated 11.5 million impressions on social media, according to the firm’s website.
“With prominent Latinx influencers like Solace Rose and Oscar Miranda promoting the Californian connection of America’s best-selling brew, we re-established meaningful connections between Bud Light and the Hispanic community,” Viral Nation’s webpage said.
Viral Nation also published a Pride marketing guide advising brands on how to avoid “corporate rainbow washing.” Fox News Digital found no evidence that the firm was involved in Cracker Barrel’s past Pride efforts — including a 2024 Nashville Pride sponsorship and rainbow-colored rocking chairs — and the company did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“Rainbow washing occurs when a brand adorns its products, social media accounts, or promotional materials with rainbow colors or symbols, often during Pride events, without substantiating its support for the LGBTQIA+ community in any deeper way,” the guide said.
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Customers were also dismayed by Cracker Barrel’s store redesigns. (Gregory Walton/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Prophet was tapped to redesign Cracker Barrel’s restaurant and lead a brand marketing campaign, the press release said.
“In collaboration with Cracker Barrel, they are focused on shaping a new brand vision that will enhance market share while preserving the Company’s unique heritage. This new strategy will inform brand communication, restaurant redesigns, brand marketing campaigns and a redefined employee value proposition,” it stated.
Prophet CEO Michael Dunn pledged $4 million for the firm’s DEI initiatives in 2020. The company said at the time it would “bring in Black team members across every level of the firm,” hire a DEI-specific recruiter and provide $4 million in pro bono work to social justice organizations, according to a 2020 blog post.
Fox News Digital found no evidence that Prophet’s DEI commitments were connected to Cracker Barrel’s rebranding. Prophet did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Blue Engine — which lists Burger King, Ketle One and Planet Fitness as clients — was tapped to handle corporate communications, according to the press release. Its website does not list Cracker Barrel as a client.
Blue Engine didn’t respond to a request for comment.
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Cracker Barrel did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
