Use The Whole Watermelon

Client

National Watermelon Promotion Board

Challenge

Each year, the National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) conducts consumer research to measure usage and attitudes about watermelons. Food trends to reducing food waste, combined with results from a consumer usage and attitudes study stating fresh watermelon was considered “too expensive,” revealed a timely opportunity to educate consumers on the value of watermelon – the whole watermelon – to drive purchases.

Solution

“Use the Whole Watermelon” launched as a way to leverage increasing food waste concerns and carve out a new perspective among media and consumers regarding the untapped value of the sometimes unwieldy watermelon. Through an interactive “butchery” class with top-tier media, an immersive media kit, online recipe contest, interactive digital content and how-to videos, the integrated campaign empowered audiences to learn the basic watermelon “cuts” –flesh, juice, rind, fresh cuts – brush up on carving techniques and, of course, celebrate watermelon’s virtues as a 100% edible, compostable vessel and source of nourishment.

This promotion proved to be one of NWPB’s most successful campaigns with placements in Better Homes & Gardens, People, HGTV, Country Living and other high-profile media outlets, as well as hundreds of consumer recipe entries using the whole watermelon. The campaign resulted in more than 50 million consumer impressions.

From rind to flesh to juice, consumers were inspired to Use the Whole Watermelon in exciting ways year-round.

Recipes