BAKERSFIELD, Calif., Oct. 12 — Late this summer, A Bunch of Carrot Farmers, led by Bolthouse Farms, launched an ambitious branding campaign for Baby Carrots. To date, the "Eat 'Em Like Junk Food" campaign, which mocks junk food marketing tactics and challenges the establishment's dominance over snacking culture, has been a wild success. This October, the campaign is going national, with the launch of Scarrots, a new kind of Halloween treat. Scarrots packaging mirrors Trick-or-Treat packs, offered in a master bag containing 25 single-serve 1.7 oz bags in 3 unique designs. Also included is a sealed pouch containing 25 temporary glow-in-the-dark tattoos of masquerading baby carrot characters. And this time they want you to "Eat 'Em Like It's Halloween."
Beginning mid-October Scarrots will be available for purchase in retail stores across the country. Additionally, A Bunch of Carrot Farmers will be distributing free Scarrots at NYC's Safe Treat event at the Jacob Javits Convention Center Oct. 30th-31st.
The "Eat 'Em Like Junk Food" campaign kicked off in Syracuse, New York, and Cincinnati, Ohio test markets in early September. Advertising agency CP+B developed a fully integrated launch campaign for Baby Carrots on behalf of Bolthouse Farms and A Bunch of Carrot Farmers, and employed many of the tactics made famous by junk food brands. Those include new packaging and television spots drawing from junk food's often extreme, futuristic and indulgent themes as well as playfully confrontational outdoor billboards, social media and customized vending machines to live alongside junk food vending machines in schools. The campaign even features the world's first carrot-crunch-powered iPhone and iPod Touch game, "Xtreme Xrunch Kart," available as a free download at the iTunes store.
"We've been blown away by the response to this campaign," said Jeff Dunn, chief executive officer, Bolthouse Farms. "We've captured the attention of everyone from USA Today to the New York Times, all the major networks — we were even cited in the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. We've learned that is there's a huge groundswell of support behind our effort to brand Baby Carrots as the ultimate junk food and we're excited to offer snackers of all kinds a new Halloween treat."
Only the marketing of Baby Carrots is different. The sweet Baby Carrots inside bags of Scarrots remain unchanged. All elements of the "Eat 'Em Like Junk Food" campaign, as well as new Scarrots packaging, can be found at the campaign's creative hub, babycarrots.com.
Source: Bolthouse Farms