• by Tanya Gazdik , October 27, 2024

In what might be one of the most inspired marketing stunts in recent memory, Goldfish is offering a “Chilean Sea Bass” varietal in an effort to show the crackers aren’t just for kids. 

The limited-edition crackers are available for purchase online only through Oct. 30.

“Although the name change was geared to lure in Millennial and Gen Z adults, the company notes that the love for the Goldfish brand has no age limit,” according to USA Today.

The snack has been selling out daily online since it first launched last week. “Sorry, all gone for today!” the website said. “Come back tomorrow at 9 am EST to fish for more Chilean Sea Bass.” 

The Chilean Sea Bass Crackers are available to buy at ChileanSeaBassCrackers.com. The company teased “new drops of inventory” daily.

“The temporary name change comes after several other brands have tried their hand at changing their branding to reach new audiences,” according to Today. “Earlier this year, the Campbell Soup Company dropped the word soup from its corporate name, becoming just The Campbell’s Company. Mountain Dew also redesigned its logo this year, moving from ‘MTN DEW’ to putting to its full name on soda bottles once again. In 2022, Kraft Foods shortened the name of its iconic Kraft Macaroni and Cheese to just ‘Kraft Mac & Cheese.’” 

 It should be noted that there is nothing different about the crackers -- which are still available on grocery stores shelves -- other than the packaging. 

“But a radical name change is one of the easiest ways for a brand to stand out in a commercial-intense world,” according to Fortune. “IHOP saw a flood of attention in 2018 when it announced it was changing its name to IHOb (International House of Burgers). The name change was a head fake, of course, but it helped the company quadruple its burger sales. Pizza Hut, in 2009, became Pasta Hut to introduce its new line of Tuscani Pastas. And Budweiser, in 2016, asked consumers to call it ‘America’ for a brief period.”

This isn’t the first marketing stunt to come out of the company.

“The brand points to its other recent releases, like Old Bay Goldfish and Frank’s RedHot Goldfish, as products that were ‘created with adult palates in mind,’” according to People. “Chilean Sea Bass crackers are just the newest iteration of snacks geared towards mature consumers.”