Uncle Ben
Uncle Ben was a respected African American rice farmer from Texas in the United States; however, the man on the front of the rice brand his name is famous for isn’t him.
The man in the bowtie with the happy smile is actually Frank Brown; the maître d’ of a Chicago restaurant frequented by the rice company’s executives.
The company’s marketers combined the name Uncle Ben, with an image of Brown, and created one of the most famous food brand faces of all time, according to LabelsPlus.
The world’s first rice brand was launched in 1947 and Frank Brown has been smiling at consumers ever since.
Today Uncle Ben’s rice is sold to over 100 countries.