Joining a long roster of freshened iconic-female CPG logos that includes Betty Crocker, Aunt Jemima and Wendy of fast-food fame, Little Debbie is getting a modern makeover. The face of the snack-cake brand is being tweaked by owner McKee Foods for just the third time since the iconic logo was introduced in 1960.

The difference between Little Debbie and the other three females is that she's the only real person who is still working in a key role with the company whose eponymous logo she inspired. Debbie McKee-Fowler is still an executive vice president of McKee, a family-owned, Collegedale, Tenn.-based company that was founded by her grandfather, O.D. McKee. Grandpa was inspired by the angelic visage of his three-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter to make her the fresh and appealing face of his new food enterprise.Continue reading...

After filing for bankruptcy protection in November and laying off its workers, Hostess has finally found buyers to pony up about $800 million for the majority of its baked goods brands.

According to Associated Press, a bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of Hostess Brands' iconic Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos to two investment firms, Apollo Global Management and Pabst owner Metropoulos & Co., for $410 million. The judge also approved the sale of Hostess-owned Wonder Bread, Nature's Pride, Butternut, Home Pride and Merita bread brands to Tastykakes owner Flowers Foods, for $360M.

Beefsteak, a Hostess-owned regional bread brand, also was approved for a $31.9 million sale to Mexico's Grupo Bimbo, which surfaced early in the Hostess bankruptcy auction as a potential buyer and acquired Sara Lee's North American bakery business in 2010.Continue reading...

Some folks pay a couple of bucks for a loaf of bread. Some folks pay $360 million. 

That’s how much Flower Foods is shelling out to take over the baking privileges of Wonder Bread, which has been on the block since Hostess declared bankruptcy last year.

As part of the deal, Flowers will also pick up Butternut, Home Pride, Merita and Nature’s Pride bread lines since there were no other bidders involved, Reuters reports. The plan had been to auction off the properties Thursday but no other interested parties stepped up.

According to Hostess' numbers, the six different bread brands brought in $1 billion in sales last year and Wonder was responsible for around half of that, the New York Post reports. That would be a sweet addition to the $3 billion Flower Foods already reportedly brings in.

Hostess’s Beefsteak bread line, on the other hand, does have at least two parties interested. The Wall Street Journal reports that Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo, the makers of Entenmann's, Sara Lee and Thomas', has bid $1 million more than the $30 million Flowers has offered for the line, so an auction will take place. Continue reading...

Little Debbie has been an iconic brand in the American snack food landscape for a long time. Fifty years, in fact. To celebrate, Little Debbie wanted to bring a little life to the brand -- literally.

Little Debbie is conducting a nationwide search for a Little Debbie "America's Sweetheart" look-alike. Oh yes, there are prizes, including scholarships and Little Debbie snacks.

Interestingly, the image that currently represents Little Debbie's brand started out as a real girl before becoming a cartoon spokesperson.Continue reading...