Our favorite snacks (and Pringles) are going through identity crises! Earlier this month saw the launch of new Pringles Mingles, the brand’s venture into air-puffed chips. The Mingles are not Pringles’ signature hyperbolic paraboloid shape, and they come in bags, not cans, hence the identity crisis categorization. Well, I guess Pepperidge Farms thought, “Hey, we want to rethink a staple product, too!” And so here we are, nearing the end of one week where Chilean Sea Bass crackers were available for purchase, instead of Goldfish. Why did we swim away from East Asian waters to a South American fish? So that adults could have a “sophisticated” version of the popular kids’ snack. To be absolutely clear: aside from the name change, the two snacks are exactly the same. Still, the lure of limited edition works (see also: Stanley cups), because when I went to buy some Chilean Sea Bass crackers online Sunday evening, they were all sold out for the day’s allotment. I wish you better luck in securing a 2-pack for $7.38 when the new batches drop at 9am ET.
The snack that smiles back is rebranding.
Goldfish, the fish-shaped cheddar crackers made by Pepperidge Farm, has temporarily changed its name to Chilean Sea Bass in hopes of appealing to “sophisticated” adults who “think Goldfish are just for kids,” according to the brand.
“Well, what if we called them Chilean Sea Bass?” an actor asked in a video shared to Goldfish’s official Instagram account Oct. 23. “They look just like Goldfish, they taste just like Goldfish — except they’re called Chilean Sea Bass.”
As for exactly why Chilean sea bass was chosen out of all the fish in the sea? It could be because the fish is often served in fine-dining restaurants.
“We know the love for Goldfish spans all ages,” vice president of Goldfish Danielle Brown said in a statement to Today. “Chilean Sea Bass is a playful nod to adults that the iconic fish-shaped snack is for grown-up tastes too.”
But don’t worry, those who prefer the OG name can still find Goldfish snacks at most retailers. After all, crackers with the special Chilean Sea Bass packaging is only available from Oct. 23 to Oct. 30 on ChileanSeaBassCrackers.com.
The name change comes a month following Goldfish’s parent corporation The Campbell’s Company dropped “Soup” from its name after more than 155 years to reflect its massive portfolio of foods, including pretzels, chips, cookies and — yes — Goldfish crackers.
And some social media users are already onboard with Goldfish’s new update.
“Very demure, very mature, very mindful, Chilean seabass,” one fan quipped on Instagram, while another joked, “The sophistication is next level.”
In fact, it’s even making a splash with other marine-adjacent brands, with Swedish Fish’s Instagram account commenting on Goldfish’s page, “Is this for eel?”
Bravo to Swedish Fish for “Is this for eel?” That was gold, and it’s nice to see solidarity between fish-themed snack foods. But I do believe the commenter who brought “very demure, very mindful,” to the conversation wins the day. I will say, I applaud Goldfish for their bravery in pulling this marketing stunt in the week leading up to Halloween, when all the focus is on candy, not crackers. But, why only one week? Was this a test, to see if the noshing public would agree that a Goldfish by any other name would smell as cheddary? And look, I know I can be a Literal Lucy, but… Chilean Sea Bass are not gold/orange, they’re silver/gray! I bring this up because I know there will be fish-curious children out there who ask their parents why the snacks look exactly the same when the two species don’t. And I don’t blame those kids!! Once that can of worms is opened up, then parents will naturally have to get into how Chilean Sea Bass aren’t even bass but cod, because their name itself is the result of a marketing ploy — a rebrand from the less-than-appetizing Patagonian or Antarctic toothfish. And thus another school of children will learn that the adult world makes no sense.