Current:Home > Contact-usThe marketing whiz behind chia pets and their iconic commercials has died-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
The marketing whiz behind chia pets and their iconic commercials has died
View Date:2024-12-24 00:25:33
Joseph Pedott was ahead of the wave on ch-ch-ch-chia seeds, TV advertising, and plants as the new pets.
Who is he? Joseph Pedott was an advertising executive and entrepreneur, best known for introducing Chia Pets to consumers after coming across the invention at a trade show in the late 1970's.
- Pedott was born in Chicago, and had a difficult childhood.
- Following his mother's death at 13, Pedott fled his abusive father at 16, and subsequently lived at a YMCA.
- Through the help of a Chicago nonprofit, Pedott was able to attend college at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and went on to start his own advertising firm.
- Pedott's experience in the advertising world and his product savvy helped drive the huge growth of chia pets, but he also worked on other iconic products like the clapper light switch. ("Clap on, clap off.")
- Pedott died on June 22 at the age of 91 in San Francisco, according to the New York Times.
What's the big deal? I can't put this more clearly: ch-ch-ch-chia!
- In 1977, Pedott attended a housewares convention, where he stumbled upon the rudimentary version of a chia pet, a terra cotta figure with 'fur' made from chia seed sprouts.
- He took a liking to the product, and thought it simply "needed better advertising." So, he bought the rights and all of the product inventory for $25,000, and went on to create one of the most infectious ad campaigns of the late 20th century.
Want more on business? Listen to Consider This on how the prospect of manufacturing goods in America is trickier than it sounds.
- Pedott also forecast the trend of people turning to plants as their new pets, a cultural phenomenon that took off during the pandemic.
- Pedott's company, Joseph Enterprises, estimated in 2018 that they had sold more than 25 million chia pets in the U.S. alone, making them a hugely popular pet option for Americans over the past few generations.
What are people saying?
Here's Pedott on his reaction when he first saw the Chia pet:
The first one I ever saw was very crude — it had scorch marks from the oven, and only three of its legs could touch the surface at once — but I liked it.
And his business wisdom in an interview with the National Museum of American History:
Ideas are the cheapest thing in the world. It's executing them that gets involved.
So, what now?
- Pedott was committed to giving back to the social services that supported him growing up, and donated to student assistance programs and funds for low-income, first-generation college students.
- His approach to business was similarly generous: he was always open to funding new ideas, and working with inventors to make their products a success.
Learn more:
- An Orson Welles film was horribly edited — will cinematic justice finally be done?
- Beloved chain Christmas Tree Shops is expected to liquidate all of its stores
- Shein invited influencers on an all-expenses-paid trip. Here's why people are livid
veryGood! (51)
Related
- Georgia lawmaker proposes new gun safety policies after school shooting
- A news site that covers Haitian-Americans is facing harassment over its post-debate coverage of Ohio
- Maternal deaths surged in Texas in 2020, 2021
- JD Souther, singer-songwriter known for work with Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, dies at 78
- What is ‘Doge’? Explaining the meme and cryptocurrency after Elon Musk's appointment to D.O.G.E.
- MLS playoff clinching scenarios: LAFC, Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake can secure berths
- Why Sean Diddy Combs No Longer Has to Pay $100 Million in Sexual Assault Case
- WNBA MVP odds: Favorites to win 2024 Most Valuable Player award
- Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira set to be sentenced, could get up to 17 years in prison
- No charges will be pursued in shooting that killed 2 after Detroit Lions game
Ranking
- GM recalls 460k cars for rear wheel lock-up: Affected models include Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac
- Tyson Foods Sued Over Emissions Reduction Promises
- Who plays on Thursday Night Football? Breaking down Week 3 matchup
- Target Fall Clothes That Look Expensive: Chic Autumn Outfits on a Budget
- He failed as a service dog. But that didn't stop him from joining the police force
- Former northern Virginia jail deputy gets 6 1/2 years for drug operation, sex trafficking
- Hackers demand $6 million for files stolen from Seattle airport operator in cyberattack
- Man says he lied when he testified against inmate who is set to be executed
Recommendation
-
After years of unrest, Commanders have reinvented their culture and shattered expectations
-
Memories of the earliest Tupperware parties, from one who was there
-
The Real Reason Joan Vassos Gave Her First Impression Rose to This Golden Bachelorette Contestant
-
Blue's Clues Host Steve Burns Addresses Death Hoax
-
Trump breaks GOP losing streak in nation’s largest majority-Arab city with a pivotal final week
-
The Smoky Mountains’ highest peak is reverting to the Cherokee name Kuwohi
-
Target Fall Clothes That Look Expensive: Chic Autumn Outfits on a Budget
-
8-year-old who drove to an Ohio Target in mom's SUV caught on dashcam video: Watch