Taking Pickles Out Of The Afterthought Aisle

THE typical habitat for the Vlasic brand character, the stork, is of course in the pickle aisle, where he perches on the labels of kosher dills and sweet gherkins. But Monday he began migrating to other sections of supermarkets, too.

Shoppers picking up ground beef, for example, encounter the stork on in-store shelf ads near the meat section, where a speech balloon near his ample beak says, “Pro tip: Serve your burgers with a Vlasic pickle. Amateur tip: Don’t.” In another ad near the hamburger buns, he says, “Having a cookout? I suggest Vlasic pickles. Not having a cookout? Same suggestion.” And on an ad on shopping carts, he says, “Can a burger be considered perfect without a Vlasic pickle? Short answer: No. Long answer: Noooooooooooo.”

The in-store ads are a primary focus of a new campaign for the brand by BBDO New York, part of the BBDO Worldwide division of the Omnicom Group.

About 80 percent of pickles consumed in American homes accompany a hamburger or other sandwich, but only 3 percent of all sandwiches consumed are served with pickles, according to marketing research by the brand.

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