The New Republic

Last week we looked at Cracker Jack, which is engaged in a transparently desperate brand overhaul that seems predestined for failure. This time around, let's look at another snack brand that's undergoing a redesign, only this one is much more nuanced: Little Debbie. READ MORE >>

For the past century or so, a certain snack food has been the lucky beneficiary of one of history's most powerful product placements. That snack food would be Cracker Jack, which is featured by name in the baseball anthem "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." You know the line: "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack." This alone is enough to guarantee Cracker Jack's availability at concession stands throughout major and minor league baseball. And you'd think that would be enough to sustain a brand, right? READ MORE >>

Here are three snapshots from the fall of 2012: The Mitt Romney campaign began distributing this bumper sticker; the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team unveiled a new court design featuring the years of the team's past championships; and NBC debuted a new sports highlights show named after a shortened version o READ MORE >>

You know how the end of a cash register tape has that thick pink line running through it, to alert the user that the roll is about to run out? Same thing with credit card paper—when the roll is near the end, you get that annoying colored streak running through the receipt. READ MORE >>

Are you a beer butterfingers? A cola klutz? A soft drink simpleton?America's beverage industry apparently thinks you are. With the year not even four months old, we've already seen three high-profile brands release new package designs that seem to present a solution in search of a problem: They're easier to hold in the hand. Or at least that's what they're claiming. READ MORE >>

Do you know what the "T-bone" in a T-bone steak is, or where it's located on the steer's skeleton? For that matter, do you care? READ MORE >>

The basic premise of One-Man Focus Group is that cultural criticism shouldn't be the exclusive province of cinema, literature, music, and the like. Given the proper perspective and the presence of a reasonably articulate observer, virtually anything can be subjected to insightful, illuminating critique. Or at least that's the idea. READ MORE >>

A few days ago we took a look at the special Passover edition of Coca-Cola. In the interests of giving equal time to both combatants in the cola wars, OMFG now turns its attention to Pepsi, which has just announced a new bottle design—the company's first in 17 years. READ MORE >>

Why is this time of year different from all other times of year? Because this is the one time when the interests of observant Jews and the interests of serious foodies—and especially Coca-Cola fans—converge. READ MORE >>

Basketball uniforms have gone through lots of changes over the years. The shorts have gotten longer, the socks have gotten shorter, and old-school cotton cloth has given way to high-tech performance fabrics. One thing, though, has stayed the same: Basketball jerseys don’t have sleeves. READ MORE >>