College Student Wins Chicken of the Sea's 'Apprentice Challenge'.
SAN DIEGO – May 3, 2009 –
He’s quirky, in your face and dons a pair of glasses
that make him easily recognizable – it’s Tommy
Tuna, aka “Mr. Chicken of the Sea,” a character
created by San Jose advertising student Benjamin Hernandez,
winning him the grand prize in Chicken of the Sea’s
Apprentice Challenge.
The contest is an extension of a partnership
between Chicken of the Sea, Mark Burnett Productions and
NBC’s hit show “The Celebrity Apprentice,” in
which the seafood company was featured on the May 3 episode.
The contest asked consumers to complete one of three marketing
tasks: 1) Outline a new product concept 2) Design a billboard
that promotes Chicken of the Sea’s Healthy Selections
or its pink salmon, albacore and light tuna cups, or 3) Outline
a viral campaign that could be successfully carried out on
a social network.
Hernandez entered in the viral campaign
category and developed a 90-second video in which Mr. Chicken
of the Sea interacts with unsuspecting people at supermarkets,
work, school and even on the streets in a high-energy blitz.
Mr. Chicken of the Sea offers memorable facts about the seafood
company’s products and his sole purpose – according
to Hernandez – is to “share his excitement of
the Chicken of the Sea brand.”
“Benjamin’s entry immediately caught our eye. It was
creative, funny and ‘out of the box’,” said John
Sawyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Chicken
of the Sea. “Most importantly, it creatively communicated our
key attributes, including health, nutrition, convenience and the
importance of eating seafood twice a week.”
As the grand-prize winner, Hernandez and
a guest will fly to New York City for the May 10 live season
finale of “The Celebrity Apprentice.”
“I’m happy, geeked, pumped...
fantastic, incredible...” said Hernandez, a California native who has not traveled much beyond the state.
Hernandez’ entry was selected by a panel of sponsor
judges based on: ability to successfully complete marketing
challenge (30 percent of score); ability to convey Chicken
of the Sea’s attributes (40 percent of score); and
overall creativity, originality and style (30 percent of
score).
A seafood category leader, Chicken of the
Sea provides a variety of shelf-stable seafood products, including
tuna, salmon, crab, shrimp, oysters, clams, mackerel and sardines.
The Chicken of the Sea brand and famous Mermaid icon are among
the most recognized brands in America.
