The name... as told by the co-founder, Skeet - a.k.a. Jason Dorland.
Back in school, while working on the packaging, before I could do anything - I needed a name for these nut butter concoctions! I knew one thing for sure; the name had to be fun and playful – conveying the image that I saw matched with 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. Some of them said, "You can't put a dog's face on a label for human food. No one will ever buy it." Another actually told me, "I like my dog too, but come on." I remember looking at her and thinking, "Someone must have taken your toys away at an early age!" Needless to say, I didn't agree. So, not being one to go with the crowd, I decided to follow my gut and let the consumers be the judge.
I also had another reason to include Ike on the packaging. A few years earlier, Ike was supposed to be a guide dog for the blind but when health problems arose, he was retired from the program. That meant he was mine for life. However, that also meant that his life might be shortened. 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!
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?, and What does Ike do?" So, thanks! And, in case you're wondering, his job description is still “inspiration”!