As Juliet says to Romeo: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
So no matter what you called it, a Twinkie would taste as sweet, in that same sugary-white-stuff inside a slightly-greasy-to-the-touch golden sponge cake sort of way.
Then again, Hostess Brands does bring to mind Twinkies and Ho Hos and Ding Dongs and Suzy Q’s and Sno Balls and Fruit Pies and Donettes much more quickly than Interstate Bakeries.
Thus, the big U.S. baker, also maker of Wonder bread, announced Monday that it was casting off the Interstate Bakeries name in favor of Hostess Brands.
The company, formerly headquartered in Kansas City but now based in Irving, Texas, came up with a corporate name change that actually makes sense, playing up a plain-English name that people recognize and love, to the tune of $1 billion in annual sales.
“Hostess has been an important part of Americana for generations and is synonymous with quality and great tasting treats,” Craig Jung, chief executive officer, said in the company’s news release announcing the change. “It is a name that consumers, customers and our employees recognize and hold in high regard.
“While we considered many potential names, one stood out — Hostess Brands.”
The company’s brands include Home Pride, Nature’s Pride, Drake’s and Dolly Madison.
| Greg Hack, ghack@kcstar.com
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