SEATTLE, WASHINGTON—As part of its North American Partnership Program, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced today that together with Gorton’s Seafood, it will be partnering with Queer Eye star and Emmy Award winning TV personality, actor, food expert and restauranteur Antoni Porowski to create new recipes—and buzz—for Wild Alaska Pollock. This project, one of twelve recently funded by the GAPP Board of Directors for the second round of the North American Partnership Program, aims to bring millennials around the dinner table, introducing them to better for you options that make seafood accessible for all.
“The North American Partnership Program is all about getting new consumer segments excited about—and purchasing—Wild Alaska Pollock and we could not be more excited to partner with Gorton’s and Chef Antoni on this initiative” said Craig Morris, Chief Executive Officer of GAPP. “Antoni’s exuberance and mad chef skills will no doubt do just that—building buzz and creating a whole new energy and presence for this delicious and nutritious fish.”
This project with Gorton’s and Antoni builds on the success of a Gorton’s campaign from the first half of 2019, which in coordination with other elements of the brand’s advertising strategy, establishes relevancy with a new generation of consumers by emphasizing substantial product improvements delivered by an assortment of fun and exciting trusted experts. Tapping into his childhood love of Gorton’s, Antoni developed three new recipes that transformed nostalgic comfort food memories into modern and utterly delicious meals. His recipes included Baja Style Fish Tacos, New Orleans Style Fish ’n Chips and Baked Crunchy Fish Fillets Puttanesca. The program also included social media and PR, with Antoni appearing in publications like E! News, Health.com and Us Weekly discussing his new recipes.
“I’m passionate about helping people make simple changes to upgrade meal time and incorporate more seafood into their diets,” said Porowski. “The best part is that these changes don’t need to mean spending lots more time and money thanks to Gorton’s and its high-quality wild-caught Alaska Pollock products that are freezer staples. I love that we can continue to help people come together in new ways around the dinner table.”
With the support of GAPP, Gorton’s and Antoni will be coming together again — with a focus on bringing millennials to the dinner table using convenient ingredients, like frozen fish, in new and exciting ways. The program will include simple and delicious recipe’s created by Antoni that are sure to impress. Antoni’s fresh take on meal time will show consumers how they can use high-quality ingredients they already have on hand, like Gorton’s Fish Sticks and Fillets already in their freezer and other pantry essentials to make easy meals for themselves, family and friends in no time. Other campaign elements include experiential, digital, social media and PR activations—all centered around Gorton’s products made using Wild Alaska Pollock.
“As our consumers’ needs and expectations evolve, our business must be continuously evolving to delight the next generation of seafood lovers,” said Chris Hussey, VP of Marketing at Gorton’s Seafood. “Most recently, we introduced major upgrades to our most classic products, which are all made with only sustainable wild-caught Alaska Pollock, frozen shortly after catch to ensure that we deliver our consumers the highest-quality and freshest tasting products. A trusted ‘makeover’ expert as it pertains to food, Antoni Porowski has been a stand-out voice for our brand, bringing to life how easy and tasty it can be for people to add more seafood to their diets. We’re grateful for this partnership with GAPP and Antoni who will support our mission to help people live healthier lives by eating more seafood.”
The North American Partnership Program was conceived by the GAPP Board of Director to recognize and provide support for companies throughout the Wild Alaska Pollock industry who are looking to bring new, innovative products to market or introduce the fish to food influencers and decision-makers at forums where it hasn’t previously had visibility. The organization received a record number of applications for the second round of funding through the program, and the Board selected 12 of those proposals to move forward and receive funding. For 2019-2020, GAPP has set aside fully $3 million towards this initiative and has now earmarked nearly $1.3 million to date towards exciting partnerships in these first two rounds of funding.
“To have a chef and influencer like Antoni working with Gorton’s and GAPP is absolutely incredible and speaks volumes to the excitement around Wild Alaska Pollock right now,” said Morris. “The three of us share a commitment to telling the Wild Alaska Pollock story, but more importantly, to getting the next generation of consumers—and the generation beyond that—excited about this seafood and this fish. I can’t wait to see what delicious delights Antoni whips up and to try his recipes at home.”
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About GAPP
The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) is dedicated to the marketing of once-frozen pollock products, harvested and processed in Alaska. A non-profit Alaska corporation formed in 2003, GAPP is working to promote Genuine Alaska Pollock in major whitefish markets around the world, with a focus on Europe, North America and Japan. It is our goal to educate both seafood buyers and consumers about the superior benefits of Genuine Alaska Pollock®. www.alaskapollock.org
