Australians really love their Vegemite?

Nom nom?

The executives at Kraft Foods Australia, the company that makes Vegemite — the salty, gooey yeast paste beloved by millions of Australians — are still awaiting the answer to that question after a recent experiment with the country’s most recognized food product went awry.

It all began in July when jars of caramel-brown Vegemite mixed with cream cheese began appearing on supermarket shelves with brightly colored labels inviting consumers to “Name Me.” After weeks of secrecy, during which the company sold more than 3 million jars of the new product to a population of just 22 million people, Kraft took an expensive advertising slot during a nationally televised Australian-rules football final Sept. 26 to announce its winner: Vegemite iSnack 2.0.

The reaction was fierce. Vegemite-loving consumers took to the Internet to voice their collective indignation about the name. Thousands of Twitter posts, at least a dozen Facebook groups and a Web site dedicated to “Names that are better than iSnack 2.0” blasted American-owned Kraft for tampering with an Australian icon.

One online commentator suggested that the 27-year-old designer who had submitted the winning name be tarred with Vegemite and forced to run naked through the streets of Sydney “as retribution for his cultural crime.”

After four days, Kraft announced that it would put the name back to a vote.

This time, it put forward six rather more conventional choices — including Vegemate, Snackmate and Vegemild — from which Cheesybite was elected through an online and telephone poll. The controversy quickly died away.

Australians are passionate about Vegemite. Travel almost anywhere and you are likely to find an Aussie with a tube of the brewer’s yeast extract stashed in his bag. Babies are weaned on it. Schoolchildren eat it on sandwiches. Adults revere it as a hangover remedy, a vital source of Vitamin B and a staple breakfast food — spread lightly on hot buttered toast.

“Australian food was really bad until the 1970s: boiled meat and vegetables without any butter or salt. Vegemite was one of the things that actually had any flavor, and that’s why it became so incredibly popular,” said Bill Granger, well known Sydney chef and the author of several modern Australian cookbooks. “It’s one of the only foods that is unique to Australia, and people see it as being quintessentially Australian.”

Similar versions of the product exist elsewhere. Britain has Marmite, for example, but many Australians consider that an inferior substitute.

I actually like the new vegemite, but yeah iSnack 2.0 was a crime against humanity.

I'm a little surprised that iSnack didn't somehow infringe on Apple's trademark. In any case, it certainly was a marketing blunder.

As opposed to iriver, or, i-fucking-anything-that-puts-i-in-front-of-their-name-to-ride-ipod-coattails?

vegemite is good

We're happy little Vegemites

As bright as bright can be.

We all enjoy our Vegemite

For breakfast, lunch, and tea.

Our mother says we're growing

stronger every single week.

Because we love our Vegemite.

We all adore our Vegemite.

It puts a rose in every cheek!



That is all.

As opposed to iriver, or, i-fucking-anything-that-puts-i-in-front-of-their-name-to-ride-ipod-coattails?

Well, yeah. Considering that Aussie company that was selling Duff Beer, a venture that Fox shut down pretty quickly but then that was a very specific trademark so I guess there's some wiggle room. In any case, iSnack was a pretty lame attempt at trying to keep up with the times and let's face it, an insult to Vegemite.

I'll go you one better, CMJ3.

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Never been a fan of Paul McDermott or Good News Week, but that was kind of funny.

Never been a fan of Paul McDermott or Good News Week, but that was kind of funny.

serious I look forward to this show every week. I was pretty pissed when it went off air but am so glad its back.

Yeah, I've always found him more annoying than funny.