‘Twas a sad day for Americans as their favourite distributor of artificial cakes and bread-stuffs bit the dust after suffering losses of $341 million its last fiscal year, tacking on to an existing debt of $994 million.
The ubiquity of Hostess Brands is legendary. In my younger years, I had been well acquainted with Wonderbread; it, having won over the hearts of parents and children alike, dominated cafeteria tables and grocery shelves. The Twinkie, while not so prominent in Canada, made its numerous cameos in TV and the media.
But alas, the giant falls.
One of the problems lies in their continual beating of a horse long dead in the marketing department. While the health-craze has swept the population and driven other junk food companies to rethink their image, Hostess has not been so keen on letting go of their gargantuan icon as America’s distributor of high-calorie foods, and the Twinkie continues to symbolize everything that the dieting nation is trying to shed: indulgence, tradition, and sugary-sweet mettle that survives a nuclear war but not a heartattack.
Being an icon doesn’t grant immunity. McDonalds learned that lesson, recognizing brand revitalization and marketing as a key focus during their decline and resurgence back in 2002; evidently, their push for a more health-conscious image has kept them modern and relevant. Some don’t learn though; this isn’t Hostess’ first time floundering the pages of Chapter 11.