Vidalia Onion Committee Cinches Triple Crown Of Marketing Awards

VIDALIA, Ga. –The Vidalia® Onion Committee claimed a prestigious PRO Award on Tuesday. Their 2010 “Ogres & Onions” campaign won first place for “Best Tie-in Promotion” among 550+ entries and bested category finalists Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark and 7-Eleven. The unusual campaign paired DreamWorks® Animation’s popular Shrek character with Vidalia Onions.

The recognition from Promo Magazine completes a trifecta of highly sought after national marketing awards for the onion farmers this year. In April the campaign earned the group and promoter Langston Communications, Inc., two first place REGGIE awards from Promotion Marketing Association for “age-specific” and “national consumer under $1-million.” In June “Ogres & Onions” clinched a coveted PRSA Bronze Anvil for non-profit media relations tactics. Sahlman Williams Public Relations assisted the VOC with media and public relations, and McIntyre Marketing provided retail marketing, graphics, and electronic media support.

The “Ogres & Onions” campaign coincided with the theatrical release of the final Shrek franchise installment, “Shrek Forever After.” The colorful, kid-friendly promotion escalated sales of bagged onions almost 30 percent for the season. Stories from parents who were surprised that their kids were eating onions created so much online hype that the Vidalia promotion made the Wall Street Journal, ABC World News, FOX Business and other national media. “We set out to convince parents to buy and kids to eat our onions, and thankfully we did it!” noted Wendy Brannen, executive director of the Vidalia Onion Committee. The Committee sought an innovative promotion as insurance that the Vidalia industry, one of the top vegetable money-makers for Georgia’s agricultural economy, be sustained in the future. “The campaign’s success just shows you that Shrek and Vidalia onions were equally comfortable on the big stage,” said Steve Langston, president of Langston Communications.

The Vidalia Onion Committee (VOC) was established in 1989 as Federal Marketing Order No. 955. The order authorizes production research, marketing research and development, and marketing promotion programs. The VOC administers the order locally and consists of eight producer members and their alternates and one public member and an alternate. More information about the Vidalia onion industry may be obtained at www.VidaliaOnion.org.

Source: The Vidalia Onion Committee