NEW YORK听鈥 Goldfish crackers are synonymous with hungry kids, but the company is betting that a sophisticated name change could expand that audience.
The Pepperidge Farm snack brand is tweaking its name for a limited time to 鈥淐hilean Sea Bass,鈥 a more grown-up title, announced Wednesday. It鈥檚 part of a strategy to attract adults and reestablish its relevance amid a broader following a pandemic peak.
Despite rebranding as a popular seafood menu item, the recipe and appearance of the snack aren鈥檛 changing. Goldfish explained in a press release that the 鈥渕uch more adult鈥 name is to 鈥渞einforce that Goldfish crackers are not just for kids,鈥 pointing to the growth of trends popularized by Gen Z and Millennials on TikTok such as
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鈥淲e know听Goldfish听are a lunchbox icon, but the truth is, they鈥檙e loved by snackers of all ages. So, as a playful reminder, we went ahead and gave our iconic cheddar cracker a new, fun, grown-up name,鈥 Danielle Brown, vice president of听Goldfish, told CNN.
But the Chilean Sea Bass snacks won鈥檛 appear on shelves: Bags featuring the branding are only being Wednesday and just for one week. Goldfish reminds people that the traditionally branded bags are still available, 鈥渘ow and always,鈥 at retailers nationwide.
In fact, the tweaked name is a nod to its roots. Pepperidge Farm launched Goldfish in the United States in 1962 initially aimed at adults as a bar snack. Since the 1990s, however, Goldfish has been sold as a snack for kids, with playful packaging.
The clever stunt is a simple way to remind customers that Goldfish exist amid growing competition from upstarts, according to Nate Rosen, the founder of , a newsletter that tracks consumer packaged goods trends.
鈥淲ith so many new brands creating trendy-looking and better-for-you versions of consumers鈥 favorite childhood snacks, I think it鈥檚 a clear indication that they need to be reminded of their beloved classics that inspired these copycats,鈥 he told CNN.
Far from floundering
Goldfish has been expanding beyond its flagship crackers in recent years as part of Campbell Company鈥檚 push to make it a $1 billion brand that鈥檚 not just known for soup.
Last year, the company invested in a Pepperidge Farm factory that grew production of the fish-shaped cracker to meet increasing consumer demand. Upon completion later this year, the facility in Utah will be able to churn out more than 5 million听Goldfish听per hour or 1,500听every second.
Goldfish has been capitalizing on its well-known name with more adult-appeasing varieties, including a potato chip version called Crisps, spicier flavors featuring Old Bay and Frank鈥檚 RedHot sauce and a larger-sized brand .
That helped propel Campbell鈥檚 snack sales to grow 13% last year, even as other legacy food to gain a larger share of the snack market听听at more than $200 billion, according to market research firm Circana.
Although snacking has declined since a pandemic-induced boom, it still remains popular for cash-strapped adults. 鈥淭here is this broader consumer behavior around the idea of 鈥榩ermissible indulgence鈥 where adults allow themselves to indulge in nostalgic or fun treats,鈥 Rosen told CNN, making Goldfish an ideal candidate for this trend.
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