The pistachio aims to bring sexy back
Filed under: Food
The pistachio industry wants to get nut lovers' minds off salmonella and onto sex.
Pistachios took a big publicity hit last year when 2 million pounds of the greenish nut had to be recalled due to salmonella contamination.
Now, as USA Today reports, the industry is striking back with a grabby campaign that casts the pistachio alongside winking innuendos ("Mobsters do it with muscle") and C-list celebrities like Adrienne Curry, Chris Knight and the curiously ubiquitous Levi Johnston. (One slightly creepy short stars the five-year-old Denny quintuplets hopping around on bouncy balls as the voice over proclaims that "Quintuplets do it with balance." See the behind the scenes video at the end of the story)
The ads don't attempt to portray the nut as an aphrodisiac, but they do tell viewers that pistachios are the nut with the lowest calories and fat -- in other words, marketers are reminding shoppers that eating pistachios certainly won't hurt the way they look naked.
Whether the promos can put a sexy sales increase on the pistachio's books remains to be seen. But the nut's corporate handlers aren't the only ones who stand to make money off the ads. At getcrackin.com (where you can watch all the video spots), viewers are invited to write and shoot their own version of the bawdy ads. The grand prize is $25,000.
But entrants shouldn't go too wild -- the fine print stipulates that any videos deemed "inappropriate for publication or viewing" will be disqualified. So think PG-13 rather than XXX, and remember: the only nuts on display should be the pistachio.
Pistachios took a big publicity hit last year when 2 million pounds of the greenish nut had to be recalled due to salmonella contamination.
Now, as USA Today reports, the industry is striking back with a grabby campaign that casts the pistachio alongside winking innuendos ("Mobsters do it with muscle") and C-list celebrities like Adrienne Curry, Chris Knight and the curiously ubiquitous Levi Johnston. (One slightly creepy short stars the five-year-old Denny quintuplets hopping around on bouncy balls as the voice over proclaims that "Quintuplets do it with balance." See the behind the scenes video at the end of the story)
The ads don't attempt to portray the nut as an aphrodisiac, but they do tell viewers that pistachios are the nut with the lowest calories and fat -- in other words, marketers are reminding shoppers that eating pistachios certainly won't hurt the way they look naked.
Whether the promos can put a sexy sales increase on the pistachio's books remains to be seen. But the nut's corporate handlers aren't the only ones who stand to make money off the ads. At getcrackin.com (where you can watch all the video spots), viewers are invited to write and shoot their own version of the bawdy ads. The grand prize is $25,000.
But entrants shouldn't go too wild -- the fine print stipulates that any videos deemed "inappropriate for publication or viewing" will be disqualified. So think PG-13 rather than XXX, and remember: the only nuts on display should be the pistachio.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)
10-05-2009 @ 4:46PM
Megan Angelo said...
test
Reply
10-06-2009 @ 3:51PM
John said...
Scandal with Michelle Obama! http://tr.im/typU
10-06-2009 @ 5:18PM
bailoutsos said...
Palin and Johnston continue to make money off her failed attempt. These two will be forever linked.
10-06-2009 @ 7:45PM
Paula said...
LOL I actually thought that was pretty clever. Dual message if you will.
10-06-2009 @ 4:41AM
BakerQ said...
What a dope is this writer. The Denny 5 year olds do it with BOUNCE, not balance. And it's not sexy. How do you open your pistachios?
Reply
10-06-2009 @ 9:49AM
Molly B said...
stupid
Reply
10-06-2009 @ 11:42PM
Melissa said...
I completly agree - STUPID.
10-06-2009 @ 10:07AM
Consumer said...
This campaign is DISGUSTING ! ! ! !
Reply
10-06-2009 @ 6:47PM
8271943 said...
What is wrong with Consumer? #1 No sense of humor whatsoever; #2 Living in the 50s #3 Prudiish.
Advice: Look in the mirror, unpurse those lips, lighten up. Ugh, what a throwback. Must belong to the Catholic church.
LEMME OUTTA HERE, PLEASE! :)
10-06-2009 @ 7:57PM
ding dong said...
pussy!
10-06-2009 @ 11:31AM
Love You said...
I only watched the one with Levi Johnston. I thought it was funny, mostly because he has his own name tattooed on his arm. If he'd been shirtless, I might have bought a bag.
Reply
10-06-2009 @ 8:15PM
phil said...
Yeah, but you didn't buy a bag! Where did they get this ad agency? I know. They had to be the 3rd lowest bidder for the job! Levi Johnston???? What did you guys pay him? Maybe $250 bux and a years supply of product? C'mon. There is always one person who thought of this campaign. NAME HIM/HER!!!! Lets get the tar and the feathers and wait outside their door.
10-06-2009 @ 11:49AM
Susan said...
It's a sad commentary on the state of society when people feel the need to rely on shock value to promote their product. No matter how many times Brittany Spears flashes her privates, it doesn't make her a great singer. No matter how crass the Kardashian sisters behave, they're still untalented slugs. No matter what Levi Johnson does, he's still an idiot that shouldn't be given any air time whatsoever. This ad campaign makes me less likely to eat pistachios.
Reply
10-07-2009 @ 9:21AM
Janette Sawyer said...
Levi is pathetic. No wonder Sarah's daughter dumped his sorry butt. She is definitely the mature and responsible one. Yeah, she got pregnant like many (get this) liberals do, but she made up for it by getting her education and making a good impression for her baby. You can't accuse Levi of that. Some day if he ever grows up, maybe he'll look back and regret how he played into the liberal rhetoric for a fast buck. What he has done has proved he doesn't care one iota for his baby. No one believes anything this jerk says. This stupid ad was not about pistachios. You shouldn't eat them anyway because they are loaded with calories and will make you fat.
10-06-2009 @ 11:56AM
farmgirl19c said...
They're funny! I love pistachios and never stopped eating them, so I don't need an ad to make me start again. They're great chopped and sprinkled over many dishes, like roasted beets or ice cream.
Reply
10-06-2009 @ 12:49PM
vgkflc said...
pg-13 ???? If it was not suggested by you it would not have been tought of. See asshole its the bodygaurd.
Reply
10-06-2009 @ 5:28PM
pnut166 said...
Classy.
Reply
10-06-2009 @ 1:40PM
pat van alders said...
Levi Johnson is NOT SEXY !!!! He's A Stupid DWEEB !!!!
Reply
10-06-2009 @ 6:14PM
John said...
Initially I'am thinking that this guy needs an ass whipping, but in retrospect perhaps he will use the money to support his child. If not I'am back to the ass whipping thing.
10-06-2009 @ 1:48PM
MeMyselfandI said...
I don't mind the adults being shown using sexual innuendos, but I think it's pretty gross to use those 5 year olds to make a sexual innuendo. And don't tell me they're not really using a sexual innuendo for the kids...the whole campaign is based on sex. Take the kids out and it's all good.
Reply