MINNEAPOLIS – Hamburger Helper, an iconic brand that has been around for more than four decades, is now simply named Helper. Parent company General Mills recently announced that after one year of planning it was launching a more contemporary version to appeal to millennials.

Apparently, General Mills discovered the product’s initial name was too limiting. What’s more, chicken has become more popular over the years, it added. Product packaging also received a redesign, plus there is a now new Helper line called “Ultimate” that includes a sauce pouch, along with two new mix flavors for chicken, according to Bloomberg Business Week.


As a result of this product metamorphosis, varieties such as Hamburger Helper and Chicken Helper are now going to be consolidated under the Helper name.

Last year, GM estimated that 1 million households dine on Helper each night of the week. However, GM’s dry dinner mix sales decreased 14 percent, to $324 million, over the past year ending in mid-May, according to a Star Tribune report.

GM uncovered that more young men were buying Hamburger Helper than were working mothers—the initial target audience. Thus, the new package design was launched to attract young, male consumers. As a result, GM intends to market Helper to men aged 18 to 30 via the social media.