Frito-Lay Unveils Female Counterparts To Cracker Jack To Uplift Women In Sports

Image via Cracker Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill to… catch a game of baseball?

The world of sports looks far different from how it was over a century ago, when the Sailor Jack character first came into existence. For one, athletes aren’t just strapping men anymore; they come from all walks of life.

It’s been a long time coming, but Frito-Lay is now diversifying the family of Cracker Jack to include ‘Cracker Jill’, the snack’s first new mascot in 125 years. Jill’s presence recognizes and celebrates the nation’s spectrum of girls and women in sports.

There are five Jills with different skin tones and body types, each of them personifying one of the most-represented ethnicities in the US as affirmed by the US Census Bureau. Black artist Monica Ahanonu, who Frito-Lay introduces as an “expert in color theory and a trailblazer for Black artists,” was tasked to design the five inclusive characters.

Image via Cracker Jill

Another Black female artist, singer Normani, was enlisted to reimagine the classic baseball anthem, Take Me Out to the Ball Game.

The five faces will appear on special-edition bags across professional ballparks during the 2022 baseball season. Fans can receive the Cracker Jill bags with donations of US$5 or more to the Women’s Sports Foundation via CrackerJill.com.

Cracker Jack itself has contributed US$200,000 to the charity to support women and girls in sports through research, financial assistance, and community outreach.

“We are constantly inspired by the many women who are making history by breaking the mold, and we want to celebrate their achievements while supporting the progress,” shares Tina Mahal, vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay North America.

“We’ve been so inspired by how girls and women are changing the face of the game, so in this spirit we introduce Cracker Jill to show girls that they’re represented even in our most iconic snacks.”

Image via Cracker Jill

Image via Cracker Jill

[via TODAY and PennLive.com, images via Cracker Jill]