The Untold Truth Of Fig Newtons

Kids of the ’90s know Fig Newtons’ yellow box and cookie-filled sleeves all too well. Years went by, ’90s kids turned into 21st-century adults, and somewhere along the way, the Fig Newton got a significant face-lift. Those of us with childhood Fig Newton memories will never know any other name, but in 2012, Nabisco dropped the Fig from the name, leaving a simplified Newton cookie on grocery store shelves.

Why the drastic change of name? Well, per The New York Times, Nabisco had long produced other fruit Newtons, including strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and cinnamon apple. Furthermore, 21-century consumers didn’t think figs were cool or hip, associating the fruit more with its fiber content than with any idea of deliciousness. Before the relaunch, sales were declining. So, Nabisco dropped the fig and adopted the generic Newtons name. When the new name launched in 2012, sales picked up, mainly due to Newton Fruit Thins — validation that the name change was necessary for Newtons to prosper in the new millennium.