“The Mother of All Tomatoes (“La Madre de los Tomates”) is the main slogan of the new integrated advertising campaign that Caribbean Produce Exchange (CPE), fresh produce distributor, recently launched along with Gargiulo to promote and support the local tomato harvest produced by the Gargiulo farm in Santa Isabel” informed Gualberto Rodríguez III, President of CPE.
“Puerto Ricans have always felt a strong sense of pride of all the wonders our Island has to offer, like El Yunque rainforest, athletes, actors and beauty queens, who have given a lot of glory to Puerto Rico, among many others”, said Rodríguez. “Our agricultural products are no exception, and in this case, the tomato is The Mother of All Tomatoes, because of its freshness, quality and great flavor, harvested in Puerto Rico by Puerto Rican hands, supporting the investment in the agricultural sector and the creation of local employment.
The campaign goes hand in hand with that sense of pride for our culture. It is tied up to that feeling of wanting to do the very best, having the capacity to be consistent with our product, harvesting, and developing in great scale, for these and many other things we are The Mother of All Tomatoes”, indicated Rodríguez. “As we feel joy as a country for the victories, we feel pride of the things we produce in our soil, and the tomato harvest is a great reason to celebrate. The harvesting of tomatoes in our Island unites us as a country, get to our tables, and is a main ingredient in our daily consumption and we have the privilege of harvesting it in Puerto Rico from January to April.
The tomato is a main staple in the Puerto Rican cuisine, judging from the estimates that show that in the Island approximately 400,000 pounds of tomatoes are consumed on a weekly basis. And it doesn’t come as a surprise, due to its versatility when it comes to preparing recipes, from a salad, to a sandwich, even in the making of rice and beans.
The Mother of All Tomatoes seeks to integrate the use of tomatoes along with other products found in the supermarket, allowing a cross-sell with other categories to boost sales even further. “The objective of the campaign is for the consumer to recognize the tomato as a fresh, locally harvested produce, that is easy to integrate in the everyday diet and make it essential in your shopping list”, mentioned Rodríguez.
Meanwhile, Guillermo Fernández, Agronomist and General Manager of Gargiulo’s farm, a 800-acre farm located in Santa Isabel, said “the campaign is key in supporting the continuity of agricultural projects on the Island and to promote the consumption of tomatoes.” He also mentioned that the tomatoes harvested in Puerto Rico: the Homegrown and Beefsteak variety, meet the highest quality standards and are harvested at their optimal point of maturity. The tomatoes harvested at Gargiulo’s farm also reaches thousands of consumers in the southeast region of the United States, with 10,000,000 pounds of tomatoes exported from Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico.
The new campaign consists of executions in traditional media, billboards, social media, supermarkets and restaurants. Since the tomato is the hero of the campaign, every piece is based on the importance of the product harvested in Puerto Rico and its relevance to our cuisine. Original recipes designed by local Chef Piñeiro, based on tomatoes will be distributed during his presentations at different supermarkets, during a radio program segment and will also be available on the Caribbean Produce Puerto Rico Facebook page.
“For this campaign we have received the support of our clients who immediately wanted to become part of the program promoting the consumption of local tomatoes, the importance of the tomato in Puerto Rican cuisine and the integration of the retailers who support the local crop. We also thank Gargiulo for trusting Caribbean Produce in this campaign”, said Rodríguez. “We also want to extend thanks to our business partners who have embraced the campaign: Burger King, Mc Donald’s, Sam’s Club, Sizzler, Subway, Walgreens and Walmart, among others.
The tomato is rich in vitamins and minerals: has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, helps prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Its freshness and versatility makes it one the essentials ingredients in every kitchen.
The campaign The Mother of All Tomatoes starts running from January to April, 2015.
About Caribbean Produce Exchange
Caribbean Produce Exchange is the main distributor of fruits, vegetables and fresh eggs in Puerto Rico with 55 years of experience in the safe handling of highly perishable foods. It is the first company in the Caribbean to have the U.S. Department of Agriculture “Good Agricultural Practices” certification. Caribbean Produce Exchange exclusively distributes tomatoes from Puerto Rico during the harvest season, limiting its importation and supporting the economy.
About Gargiulo
Gargiulo Puerto Rico have been growing quality tomatoes for over half a century. The annual tomato harvest of the farms operated by Gargiulo in Santa Isabel, produces an average of 1.5 million 25-pound boxes of Beefsteak and Homegrown tomatoes, of which 30% stays in Puerto Rico for local consumption. During the harvesting season (January to April) Gargiulo employs up to 700 people.
Source: Caribbean Produce Exchange / Gargiulo