In spider branding news (is that a thing?), Pringles is petitioning the scientific communityOpens in a new tab to rename a spider the Pringles Spider because it looks like their famous logo. And to their credit, it really does. The kidney garden spider is so named because of the kidney bean-shaped patch on its back that some would say is actually moustache-shaped. And it likes to hang out in gardens. The beady eye to moustache thickness ratio is uncannily similar to the Pringles logo, who is apparently named Mr. P.
The spiders live in South and East Asia. And don’t let the scale on the promotional materials scare you, the spider itself is relatively small. Females are only about one quarter of an inch long and males are roughly half that size. Scientists originally described the species in 1886. It seems like there were even more people with moustaches back then, so it surprises me that spider scientists didn’t think of naming it after that feature in the first place.
There always seems to be a lot of spider newsOpens in a new tab. Too much for some of us arachnophobes. This one came to us from DesignTAXIOpens in a new tab. And it isn’t even the weirdest tie-in we’ve seen with Pringles. Don’t forget that they made flavors like Thanksgiving dinnerOpens in a new tab, Wendy’s spicy chickenOpens in a new tab, and of course Rick and Morty Pickle Rick chipsOpens in a new tab. At least the free Pringles the company plans to share with backers of their petition are just normal flavors.
While I’m not sure how successful the actual change.org petitionOpens in a new tab to arachnological societies around the world will be, I guess it’s better than suing the spider for trademark infringement.
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She wishes there were fewer cool stories about spiders so she wouldn’t have to watch spider videos for work. Melissa also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star WarsologiesOpens in a new tab, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruthOpens in a new tab.
