This is no funny business.
The Laughing Cow, the animated red mascot who has smiled from packages of spreadable cheese wedges for more than 100 years, has suddenly stopped laughing.
Select packages of The Laughing Cow Creamy Original cheese wedges rolling out nationwide now feature the normally cheerful cow with a serious expression and a cryptic message: “We need to talk.”
But what happened? That’s the mystery behind the brand’s new “The Not Laughing Cow” campaign, which is inviting fans to speculate about what could have wiped the grin off her face, the brand announced Tuesday.
“The Laughing Cow has spent more than 100 years reminding us not to take life too seriously. So when she suddenly gets serious, you pay attention,” Jamee Pearlstein, chief marketing officer of Bel Brands USA, U.S. Cheese, said in a news release.
“Whatever finally got to her must be worth talking about. We’ll let her explain when she’s ready,” Pearlstein added.
The special packages are available in select markets in every state across the U.S. and can be found in more than 4,700 stores, according to the company. Each package also features a QR code directing shoppers to TheNotLaughingCow.com, where they can investigate the mystery and share their theories.
The campaign’s videos only add to the intrigue. One shows the usually upbeat mascot sitting alone in a diner, while another has her somberly swinging by herself as messages flash across the screen: “The Laughing Cow stopped laughing,” and “We need to talk.”
The serious-faced mascot has also popped up in parks, diners and across the brand’s social media accounts, according to Bel Brands USA.
Thankfully, her frown will soon turn upside down.
The change is temporary, and the mystery behind her sad face will begin to unravel in the coming days, Bel Brands told Fox News Digital.
Until then: "We’ve been excited to see that curiosity and conversation continue to build as more of The Not Laughing Cow packages appear on shelves," the company told the outlet.
The Independent has contacted The Laughing Cow for comment.
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