It’s long been known that sex sells. But can sex sell baby carrots?That’s what the people at Bolthouse Farms, the largest purveyor of carrots in the U.S., are betting on in their quest to overhaul the image of the mini orange veggie.MORE: The Dirty Secrets of Food AdvertisingNot only have they put out sultry ads, like a bombshell in a slinky black dress seductively eating a baby carrot, but they’ve also gone the extreme sports route—with a commercial that involves rockets, pyrotechnics and machine guns.It’s all a part of a $25 million marketing campaign by Crispin Porter + Bogusky that aims to make baby carrots cool by marketing them with the same sexiness and flash of junk food.What spurred the switch? Jeff Dunn, CEO of Bolthouse Farms, was searching for a way to rev up sales for the healthy snack. But he didn’t want to go the traditional health campaign route, touting low calories and beta carotene. He wanted something different and memorable—ultimately, something that you might see in a Coca Cola or Doritos ad.MORE: How You’re Tricked Into Eating Junk Food“We wrapped this thing in the same lessons as junk food marketing,” said Dunn to ABC News. “Because junk and fast-food marketing has done a tremendous job of creating interest, innovation and energy around their products. So why can’t we bring that same energy to something that’s good for you?”And with baby carrots possessing many attributes of our favorite junk foods—neon orange, crunchy, dippable, addicting—Dunn didn’t think the idea was so farfetched.Through commercials, billboards, vending machines, seasonal tie-ins (“scarrots for Halloween!) and video games, Bolthouse Farms has been able to create a fun synergy around the product. Even the packaging got a makeover—bright, crinkly bags (much like potato chips) with bold, junk-food-style graphics—and a new tagline: “Eat ’em like junk food.”The new approach was test-marketed in Cincinnati and Syracuse last year—specifically aiming the message at kids with themes such as vampires and extreme sports—and Bolthouse saw a double-digit growth in both cities. Take that, potato chips.QUIZ: Are You Getting the Nutrients You Need?
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