Sara Lee drops famous singer Jimmy Dean as spokesman-no longer meets the company's marketing needs

news8austin.com ^

[chance33_98]

Sara Lee drops famous singer Jimmy Dean as spokesman

RICHMOND, Va. -- Country singer Jimmy Dean said Sara Lee has dropped him as spokesman for the sausage company he founded.

The 75-year-old native of Plainview, Texas, said the maker of food, apparel and household products told him he no longer meets the company's marketing needs.

A spokeswoman for Sara Lee said the company chose not to renew Dean's contract in May because the "brand was going in a new direction'' that demanded a shift in marketing.

Dean, who lives just outside of Richmond, Virginia, said he had a verbal agreement with former Chief Executive John Bryan.

Dean said Bryan told him that the entertainer would always be the company's official spokesman.

Bryan couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Sara Lee still pays Dean an undisclosed amount for the use of his name and his likeness.

[martin_fierro]

But nobody doesn't like Jimmy Dean!

<|:)~

[martin_fierro]

Sara Lee on Jimmy Dean:

"Let 'im eat cake."

[sinkspur]

Maybe they thought he was a relative of Howard Dean, and they wanted no part of THAT!

[dighton]

Dear Sara Lee,

If you're planning to rebrand as Howard Dean, reconsider.

[chaosagent]

Strangely enough, I mentioned this to my wife a few months ago after hearing a Jimmy Dean radio ad.

They were using someone who sounded like Dean, but it wasn't Dean.

[flashbunny]

Sara Lee gives money to anti-gun groups, so I work to avoid giving money to sara lee. This just makes it easier...

[Revolting cat!]

Sad, but that's life. "Sara Lee" like "Betty Crocker" probably never existed, now Jimmy Dean who is a real person and a fine country singer at one time, is sent out to pasture. Maybe he should have held to his company, but go tell it to Hewlett and Packard and to the brothers Warner. It's all corporate and faceless now and accountable to no one in particular.

[chance33_98]

and accountable to no one in particular

Oh, I am sure someone would be if people boycotted them enough. Problem is, people just don't seem to care - and when you don't care companies and politicians alike can get away with anything they want.

As far as this subject is concerned though, dosen't really bother me - it does make me wonder that the image is they want for marketing though, should be interesting.

[76834]

While "Jimmy Dean" sausage is fairly good Owens is much better.

LOL

[Revolting cat!]

Well, the name "Jimmy Dean" is meaningless to most people today. It's been, what, 40 years since his last hit. So what I predict we'll see is a transformation of Jimmy Dean a real person into Jimmy Dean a fictitious person like Betty Crocker. How else are they going to get out of this riddle if they are to keep the brand name?!

[Ragirl]

Maybe they are just afraid of being associated with the OTHER DEAN....

[VOA]

Dean, who lives just outside of Richmond, Virginia, said he had a verbal agreement
with former Chief Executive John Bryan.

Note to Jimmie Dean...
while Richmond, VA might be below the Mason-Dixon line...it's most likely that
you now are reaping the grapes of wrath for having forsaken The Nation Of Texas!

[elli1]

Same thing happened when Pepsi put Col. Sanders out to pasture. Bunch of tin-eared corporate smucks, IMO, who don't know the first thing about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and build a business from the ground up.

[Revolting cat!]

Dean, who lives just outside of Richmond, Virginia, said he had a verbal agreement with former Chief Executive John Bryan.

Big Bad John!

[jocon307]

Eat Jones sausages, they are the best. I don't know if it is a regional brand, or available nationwide. If you read the ingredients there's nothing in 'em but pork and spices, no preservatives or anything. They are, I repeat, THE BEST. And I got them on sale today, yay me! Can't wait to eat 'em all up!

[AngrySpud]

LOL! Stick a fork in him ... he's done!

[Kirkwood]

In my opinon, they haven't used him enough.

Maybe they thought people would confuse him with Glenn Campbell.

[William Tell]

flashbunny said: "Sara Lee gives money to anti-gun groups, so I work to avoid giving money to sara lee. This just makes it easier..."

The most difficult Sara Lee product for me to give up was Jimmy Dean Sausage. I'm still looking for a good replacement but I won't buy Sara Lee products.

Here is a list of Sara Lee brands. Don't let the anti-gunners use your money.

Aoste, Ball Park, Bimbo, Bryan, Douwe Egberts, Earth Grains, Hillshire Farm, IronKids, Jimmy Dean, Maison du Café, Sara Lee, Senseo, Superior, Bali, barely there, Champion, Dim, Hanes, Hanes Her Way, Just My Size, Playtex, Unno, Wonderbra, Ambi Pur, Kiwi, Sanex

[Charles Henrickson]

A spokeswoman for Sara Lee said the company chose not to renew Dean's contract in May because the "brand was going in a new direction"

Jimmy Dean Hyper Links?