The Name... as told by the co-founder, Skeet—a.k.a. Jason Dorland.
Before I could proceed with designing a packaging system
for my nut butter concoctions, first off, I needed a name! Knowing one
thing for sure, that name had to be fun and playful conveying an image
that matched the spreads. After weeks of brainstorming, I still wasn't
thrilled with any of my ideas.
Then one day, while running with Ike, it struck me—what's
more playful than a Golden Retriever? I ran the idea by some of my
instructors—they weren't exactly thrilled, "You can't put a dog's face
on a label for human food. No one will ever buy it." One of them
actually said, "I like my dog too, but come on." I looked at her
thinking; someone must have taken your toys away at an early age!
Needless to say I didn't agree and I decided, instead, to follow my gut
and let the consumers be the judge.
Besides, I had a more personal reason for including Ike on the
packaging. A few years earlier Ike was slated to be a guide dog for the
blind, but when health problems arose he was retired from the program,
which meant he was mine for life. However, that also meant those health
concerns might shorten that life. So, I thought, what better way to
immortalize him than on a food label? It was simple, his name was Ike,
and my nickname was Skeet—I inherited it from my dad—put the two
together and you had a great name for a great product. Skeet & Ike's
Not Just Nuts Spread was born!
Well, so far I haven't been disappointed—I have yet to hear a
negative comment about Ike being on the label. In fact, the main
questions we receive at Skeet & Ike's are… Where's Ike? How's Ike?
What does Ike do? So, thanks! And, in case you're wondering, his job
description is still inspiration!