At the peak of cancel culture itself, companies are trying to adapt to people’s demands to avoid backlash for their logo’s past. Companies like Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworths, Land O Lakes, Potato Head, and now Amazon have all changed their logos in the past eight months. 

The most recent change was by Amazon; this came after backlash from people who interpreted the logo as “looking like Hitler.” The company originally changed its app icon back in January; however, with the backlash that resulted, Amazon quickly changed it. The first change of the year was from a shopping cart to a toothbrush-style mustache hanging from the top with the iconic Amazon smile at the bottom. An Amazon representative said the shopping cart was resigned into the smile, “ to spark anticipation, excitement, and joy when customers start their shopping journey on their phone, just as they do when they see our boxes on their doorstep.”  However, that is not what the new logo did and that is why it was eventually changed from the jagged mustache into a stick note.

Land O Lake’s logo was changed after having the same Native American for over a century. It is assumed the brand decided to change it last year because of the pattern of other companies using Native Americans receiving backlash. According to former American Psychological Association President Ronald F. Levant, “The use of American Indian mascots as symbols in schools and university athletic programs is particularly troubling because schools are places of learning. These mascots are teaching stereotypical, misleading, and too often, insulting images of American Indians. These negative lessons are not just affecting American Indian students; they are sending the wrong message to all students.” 

Many students can see both sides of the argument when it comes to logo changes. When a group of people finds something to be very damaging to them, then most students can understand; especially if they know why they are so upset. After asking Lauren Gager about the Land O Lakes logo change, she said, “I can see why Native Americans would be upset with the logo, especially after reading the quote by Ronald F. Levant, the President at the APA.”  

However, students can also feel like a group of people is overreacting.  Rowan Harris, a Jewish student at St. Louis High School, said, “I really can’t see why people find this offensive. It really doesn’t look anything like Hitler. I feel like people are overreacting and stretching far to be offended by this.” Harris continued by saying, “As someone who is a follower of Judaism, I don’t think it is offensive. Anyone who does think it looks like Hitler is likely just trying to seem ‘woke’.”