How does one (correctly) pronounce ".gif" -- the shorthand name for the Graphics Interchange Format moving images that you see every day on the internet?
Today, S.J. Smucker (SJM -0.69%) provided the answer.
Image source: Amazon.com.
"Why Smucker," you ask? What does a jelly company have to do with internet tech and memes? Well, in case you've forgotten, one of Smucker's most famous products is "Jif" peanut butter -- and Smucker's has had enough of everyone pronouncing .gif like its Jif.
"If you've ever called a .GIF a Jif®, we forgive you," says Smucker in a marketing press release today. But as the company goes on to explain, "Jif®, said with a 'soft G,' is America's number one peanut butter. GIFs [on the other hand, are] said with a 'hard G'."
Smucker's is probably right about that, and to prove it, it's teamed up with GIPHY, "the world's first and largest GIF search engine where thousands of artists, brands, and content partners make today's expression a little more moving" to make its case. To further illustrate the difference, Smucker has created a limited edition line of dual-labeled peanut butter jars that will be available for sale on Amazon.com for a limited time, for $10.
On one side, the jars will be labeled with the iconic three-lettered name "Jif" on a multi-colored background. On the other side, the same background -- but spelled "Gif."
Next time you're confused about how to pronounce that .gif file you just saw on the internet, just reach into the cupboard for you jar of "Gif" -brand peanut butter, spin it around, and check.
