From Rejected Pitch to Rival Brand: Connor Blakley's Jams Challenges Smucker's Uncrustables

Connor Blakley, an entrepreneur who previously advised major corporations on engaging Gen Z consumers, has launched his own consumer packaged goods (CPG) company, Dropout Cos., featuring a new frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwich called Jams. This move represents a significant pivot from his earlier efforts to influence established brands, notably J.M. Smucker Co., the venerable food conglomerate with a long history in the American market.

In 2018, Blakley, then just 18 years old and already running a Gen Z marketing consultancy named YouthLogic, attempted to capture the attention of Mark Smucker, the fifth-generation CEO of J.M. Smucker Co. Blakley sent a handwritten letter to Smucker, pitching his firm's expertise in understanding the preferences of Generation Z. He cited a personal connection to the company's iconic Uncrustables, a product deeply ingrained in the childhood of many Americans. Executives from J.M. Smucker Co. did respond, acknowledging Blakley's "approach to influencer marketing and connection with Gen Z" and expressing interest in a meeting, noting the geographical proximity of Cleveland to the company's Orrville, Ohio, headquarters. However, Blakley states that despite ten follow-ups, a meeting never materialized. J.M. Smucker Co. declined to comment on these specific interactions when approached by Fast Company.

Blakley, who himself dropped out of high school at 13 to pursue business ventures, has since built a multifaceted media and business empire under the umbrella of Dropout. He recently rediscovered the 2018 letter and, in a move that highlights the evolving landscape of brand communication and personal branding, shared it with Mark Smucker via Instagram direct message, accompanied by the provocative question, "Remember this?" Blakley noted that Smucker actively views his Instagram Stories, a detail he used to locate his personal account.

For over a decade, J.M. Smucker Co.'s Uncrustables, the distinctive crimped, crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, had virtually dominated the frozen snack aisle. The product had transcended its grocery store origins to become a significant cultural phenomenon and a billion-dollar megabrand, even reaching a remarkable consumption rate of 80,000 sandwiches per season among NFL players.

In July 2025, Blakley launched Jams, positioning it as a "better-for-you" alternative in the frozen PB&J sandwich category. This direct challenge to Uncrustables entered the market with a strategic focus on health-conscious consumers and a modern brand identity. By November 2025, Jams had secured placement in Target stores, a major retail partner. Within six months of its launch at Target, one of Jams' flavors began to outsell its Uncrustables counterpart, signaling a significant disruption in the market. Furthermore, Jams has achieved substantial penetration within the professional sports world, now being stocked in approximately half of NFL locker rooms. The brand's trajectory is set to accelerate further as it debuts as the official partner of the NFL Players Association at the commencement of the new football season on September 9. This development underscores Blakley's entrepreneurial journey from a young aspiring marketer to a formidable competitor in the CPG space, directly challenging a long-standing market leader with a product tailored to contemporary consumer demands.