Look - as they say, when you have 2 Jews in a room, you'll get 3 opinions. So 2 matzos (or as long-time reader Jordan C. keeps telling me, matzahs) seems like 1 matzo too few.
No matter where the matzah on the table came from, everyone I know who attended a seder had some kind of intergenerational conversation about the Manischewitz rebrand. Including me.
I bought one box this year and it was Trader Joe's store brand: the choice of a New Yorker who knows that's the cheapest place to buy matzah in this expensive city, oy gevalt.
Manischewitz rebrand: there was a strong generational divide at my Seders that was echoed by most of my friends. The millennials and younger liked the rebrand a lot better than the older generations. The older generation didn’t understand who they were trying to appeal to, to which I responded: the goyim, because that’s the only way to expand their market.
And I'm sure you showed the older generation the classic Gobbledy newsletters where we looked at how Manischewitz has been selling to non-jews since the 1950s (as if that would convince them):
Couple of items worth discussing. First, I sort of appreciate the cartoonish characters on the Manischewitz box. Jew-y, but not too Jew-y, just in case a Catholic is like, you know what, matzo time! Second, I can't place the skit, but didn't Billy Crystal do a bit on SNL about "matzos by Streit's"?
Billy Crystal on SNL used to do a Joe Franklin impersonation, which seems incredibly ridiculous as a type that, and in that he would talk about the show being sponsored by "Matzah's by Streitz," my friends.
What does it mean that we had both Manischewitz and Streit's?
Look - as they say, when you have 2 Jews in a room, you'll get 3 opinions. So 2 matzos (or as long-time reader Jordan C. keeps telling me, matzahs) seems like 1 matzo too few.
Correct answer: you belong to a reform synagogue, but attend two days of Rosh Hashana.
How did I miss that????????
No matter where the matzah on the table came from, everyone I know who attended a seder had some kind of intergenerational conversation about the Manischewitz rebrand. Including me.
I bought one box this year and it was Trader Joe's store brand: the choice of a New Yorker who knows that's the cheapest place to buy matzah in this expensive city, oy gevalt.
Wait - there's a Trader Joe's store brand matzo? K for P? How did I miss this???? And where did people stand on the re-branding?
TJ’s matzah: yes, K for P, “made in Israel,” I bought it maybe 10 days before the holiday started? Here’s an image for reference/brand analysis https://traderjoesrants.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/matzo.jpg
Manischewitz rebrand: there was a strong generational divide at my Seders that was echoed by most of my friends. The millennials and younger liked the rebrand a lot better than the older generations. The older generation didn’t understand who they were trying to appeal to, to which I responded: the goyim, because that’s the only way to expand their market.
And I'm sure you showed the older generation the classic Gobbledy newsletters where we looked at how Manischewitz has been selling to non-jews since the 1950s (as if that would convince them):
https://gobbledy.substack.com/p/3-secular-marketing-lessons-from
Couple of items worth discussing. First, I sort of appreciate the cartoonish characters on the Manischewitz box. Jew-y, but not too Jew-y, just in case a Catholic is like, you know what, matzo time! Second, I can't place the skit, but didn't Billy Crystal do a bit on SNL about "matzos by Streit's"?
Billy Crystal on SNL used to do a Joe Franklin impersonation, which seems incredibly ridiculous as a type that, and in that he would talk about the show being sponsored by "Matzah's by Streitz," my friends.
Yes! Joe Franklin. I remember, even at like 10 or 11 years old, thinking, this is really specific and obscure but also really funny.
Even the most expertly executed rebrands have their limits. And that limit is when you’re trying to make gefilte fish look appetizing.
You mean "The World's Original Filet-o-Fish"?
“The World’s Original Ancient Fish” is actually a very apt description.