Cup Noodles Says It’s Changing Its Name Back to Cup O’ Noodles
Apropos of nothing, the move comes right before April Fools’ Day.
Instant noodle inventor Nissin Foods announced in a press release Wednesday, March 31, that it would be changing its incredibly famous name, Cup Noodles (seriously, try not to envision its font, we bet you’re reading this in that iconic script right now), back to its equally famous original name, Cup O’ Noodles.
“According to a nationwide survey, more than 80 percent of ramen lovers still call the brand 'Cup O' Noodles' instead of 'Cup Noodles,'” the release reads. “Some say this may be a classic example of the Mandela Effect, an unusual phenomenon where a large group of people remember something differently than how it occurred.”
Momofuku Ando’s Cup Noodles first hit shelves in Japan in 1971 before reaching US shelves under the name Cup O’ Noodles in 1973, according to press materials. The company cut the O’ in 1993.
"It's been almost 30 years since we changed the name, but thanks to social media monitoring, we realized there's a lot of conversation about the O'," Jaclyn Park, Nissin Foods USA’s vice president of marketing, is quoted as saying in the release. "So, for our 50th anniversary, we decided to end the debate and bring back the O'. We're tired O' fighting it."
Big if true. Also, if the company were to change its name on or around April 1, classic merch lovers may want to nab current Cup Noodle apparel while they can.
Thrillist reached out to a brand representative for more information, and they responded, in part, “You never know what the future may hold for Cup O' Noodles, but we'll have more news to share on April 1.”
Given the date, we recommend taking this announcement with slurp of skepticism.