J&D's Down Home Enterprises
Encyclopedia
J&D's Down Home Enterprises, also known as J&D's Foods, is an American
company based in Seattle, Washington, that produces bacon
-related products such as Bacon Salt and Baconnaise. The company was founded in 2007 by Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow who used a $5,000 prize winning from America's Funniest Home Videos
as start capital to launch the business. J&D's used an unconventional, yet successful advertising campaign
consisting of on-line Social network service
s and personal telephone calls to the media to get stories written about them resulting in selling 20,000 jars of their initial product, Bacon Salt, in their first five months of operation.
, which is composed of a shot of bourbon
and a piece of fried bacon as a garnish
. After registering a trademark and purchasing an internet domain, Esch and Lefkow started producing Bacon Salt. They funded their company with a $5,000 loan from Lefkow's 3-year-old son Dean, who had won the money on America's Funniest Home Videos
for a video in which he smacks his dad with a hit while playing T-Ball
. Bacon Salt became a hit, and as of 2007 was sold in all 50 states
and 26 other countries. Esch and Lefkow have since repaid the $5,000 loan.
s and set up online profiles for Bacon Salt for online communities including MySpace
and Facebook
. The technique worked, Esch and Lefkow received 800 orders in the first week for their three varieties (original, hickory, and peppered) which included an order from a customer in Texas
for 36 jars. They sold 20,000 jars between their opening in July 2007 and November 2007. In addition to online marketing, Esch and Lefkow spent an average of 30 minutes per day phoning the media, and explaining why they should do a story about them.
and the money raised benefited the family of a deceased co-worker. J&D's hosted a complimentary BLT sandwich bar served $3 Mitch Morgan shots made with Maker's Mark
bourbon.
from the Seattle Sounders
, Mark Rahner from ROTTEN Comics, Thee Ted Smith from KISW 99.9 FM, Josh Black a.k.a. Ronald McFondle from Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling, Justin Barnes from KFNK
104.9 FM, Sheeza Brickhouse from the Rat City Rollergirls
, Erik "The Red" Denmark from Major League Eating
and Jessica Williams the J&D's Foods Fall 2009 intern. J&D's once again served $3 Mitch Morgan shots made with Maker's Mark bourbon.
In 2008 J&D's Foods launched Operation Bacon Salt, to provide troops serving abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan, where pork is not readily available, Bacon Salt. After receiving several emails from troops stationed abroad J&D's began mailing free Bacon Salt to troops.
spread available in both Regular and Lite versions. Jon Stewart
of The Daily Show
described Baconnaise as being "for people who want heart disease but are too lazy to actually make the bacon."
in March 2009, Winfrey's co-hosts Mark Consuelos and Ali Wentworth applied Bacon Lip Balm during the interview.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company based in Seattle, Washington, that produces bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
-related products such as Bacon Salt and Baconnaise. The company was founded in 2007 by Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow who used a $5,000 prize winning from America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos is an American reality television program on ABC in which viewers are able to send in humorous homemade videotapes. The most common videos usually feature slapstick physical comedy arising from incidents, accidents and mishaps...
as start capital to launch the business. J&D's used an unconventional, yet successful advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
consisting of on-line Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
s and personal telephone calls to the media to get stories written about them resulting in selling 20,000 jars of their initial product, Bacon Salt, in their first five months of operation.
History
The company launched sales on July 16, 2007, when entrepreneurs Justin Esch and David Lefkow started selling Bacon Salt, a product that was conceived by Esch while considering the virtues of the drink Mitch MorganMitch Morgan
A Mitch Morgan is a cocktail that consists of a shot of bourbon whiskey served with a piece of fried bacon as a cocktail garnish.A vegetarian variation on the theme is called a "Courtney Morgan" and is instead garnished with a vinaigrette doused broccoli crown.The Mitch Morgan is a popular...
, which is composed of a shot of bourbon
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
and a piece of fried bacon as a garnish
Cocktail garnish
Cocktail garnishes are decorative ornaments that add character or style to a mixed drink, most notably to cocktails.A large variety of cocktail garnishes are used. Many rum-based cocktails, especially those with fruit flavors, tend to be decorated with tropical-themed garnishes or slices of fruit....
. After registering a trademark and purchasing an internet domain, Esch and Lefkow started producing Bacon Salt. They funded their company with a $5,000 loan from Lefkow's 3-year-old son Dean, who had won the money on America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos is an American reality television program on ABC in which viewers are able to send in humorous homemade videotapes. The most common videos usually feature slapstick physical comedy arising from incidents, accidents and mishaps...
for a video in which he smacks his dad with a hit while playing T-Ball
Tee Ball
Tee Ball or T-Ball is a sport based on baseball and is intended as an introduction for children to develop baseball skills and have fun. The name Tee Ball is a registered trademark while T-Ball is the generic name, although many sources use Tee Ball as a generic title.- Description :In T-Ball, the...
. Bacon Salt became a hit, and as of 2007 was sold in all 50 states
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
and 26 other countries. Esch and Lefkow have since repaid the $5,000 loan.
Marketing
Initially Esch and Lefkow had no advertising budget and were met by resistance from food brokers and distributors who were unwilling to take a chance on an unknown product. Instead of traditional advertising, they sent jars of Bacon Salt to editors of food blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s and set up online profiles for Bacon Salt for online communities including MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. The technique worked, Esch and Lefkow received 800 orders in the first week for their three varieties (original, hickory, and peppered) which included an order from a customer in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
for 36 jars. They sold 20,000 jars between their opening in July 2007 and November 2007. In addition to online marketing, Esch and Lefkow spent an average of 30 minutes per day phoning the media, and explaining why they should do a story about them.
Mayonnaise Wrestling
On October 28, 2008 J&D's Foods hosted The World’s First Charity No Holds Barred Battle To The Death Mayonnaise Wrestling Match at Heavens night club in Seattle, Washington. The event featured three bouts of wrestling in 6,000 lbs of mayonnaise inside a ring made of old mattresses and hay bales. The main event included a fight between combatants dressed in a 7' foam Bacon suit and a giant jar of Mayonnaise. The event promoted the launch of their new bacon flavored mayonnaise, BaconnaiseBaconnaise
Baconnaise is a kosher mayonnaise-based product that was especially made to taste like bacon. It was created by Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow, founders of J&D's Foods, in November 2008 and sold 40,000 jars within six months. It was test-marketed in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in order to determine the...
and the money raised benefited the family of a deceased co-worker. J&D's hosted a complimentary BLT sandwich bar served $3 Mitch Morgan shots made with Maker's Mark
Maker's Mark
Maker’s Mark is a small batch bourbon whiskey that is distilled in Loretto, Kentucky by Beam Inc.. It is sold in distinctively squarish bottles, which are sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.- History...
bourbon.
The Bacathlon
On November 19, 2009 J&D's Foods hosted The Bacathlon at Heavens night club in Seattle, Washington. Promoted as The World's First Bacon-Themed Multi-Sport Athletic and Endurance Event that featured an attempt to set the World Record for Bacon Eating. The Bacathlon featured local Seattle personalities competing against each other dressed in giant foam Bacon suits. The competitors included Ben DragavonBen Dragavon
Ben Dragavon is an American soccer player.-Youth and College:Dragavon graduated from Monroe High School in 2002. In 2001, he backstopped the Bearcats to the Washington State 3A High School Championship. He then attended Western Washington University, playing on the men’s soccer team from 2002 to...
from the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
, Mark Rahner from ROTTEN Comics, Thee Ted Smith from KISW 99.9 FM, Josh Black a.k.a. Ronald McFondle from Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling, Justin Barnes from KFNK
KFNK
KSGX "The Brew 104-9" is an active rock radio station licensed to Eatonville, Washington and serving the southern Puget Sound region centered around Tacoma.-History:...
104.9 FM, Sheeza Brickhouse from the Rat City Rollergirls
Rat City Rollergirls
The Rat City Rollergirls are a flat-track roller derby league in Seattle, Washington. The league is composed of four member teams for intra-league play, an all-star travel team that competes with other leagues, and another travel team that plays in exhibition games with other leagues...
, Erik "The Red" Denmark from Major League Eating
Major League Eating
Major League Eating is a franchise that sanctions professional competitive eating events and competitive eating television specials. The purported mission of Major League Eating is to maintain a safe environment for all events, while also seeking to create a dynamic and enjoyable fan experience...
and Jessica Williams the J&D's Foods Fall 2009 intern. J&D's once again served $3 Mitch Morgan shots made with Maker's Mark bourbon.
Novelty Products
J&D's Foods has used novelty bacon flavored products Bacon Lip Balm, BaconLube and Mmmvelopes to generate media buzz and spread the awareness of their mainstream consumer products.Bacon Salt
Bacon Salt was the first product developed by J&D's Foods. The first attempt at making bacon salt was to take bacon grease and pour it over Kosher salt. That attempt result was unsuccessful and according to Esch, tasted disgusting. Upon perfecting the recipe the pair introduced the first three flavors of Bacon Salt; Original, Hickory and Peppered varieties. J&D's went on to launch Natural Bacon Salt and the Limited Edition Holiday Flavors Cheddar, Jalapeño, Maple, Applewood and Mesquite Bacon Salt in 2008. Bacon Salt is a low sodium, zero calorie, zero fat, vegetarian, Kosher seasoning. Bacon Salt contains no sugar, carbohydrates, cholesterol or nitrates. Hickory Bacon Salt is vegan.In 2008 J&D's Foods launched Operation Bacon Salt, to provide troops serving abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan, where pork is not readily available, Bacon Salt. After receiving several emails from troops stationed abroad J&D's began mailing free Bacon Salt to troops.
Baconnaise
Introduced in October 2008, Baconnaise is a bacon flavored mayonnaiseMayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
spread available in both Regular and Lite versions. Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
described Baconnaise as being "for people who want heart disease but are too lazy to actually make the bacon."
Bacon Lip Balm
Introduced in October 2008, Bacon Lip Balm is a bacon flavored Chap Stick. J&D's bacon-inspired lip balm, which is a "hot seller" on their web site, having sold over 50,000 units, often by the dozen. Customer reviews range from being described as the worst thing they have ever heard of to the greatest thing ever. When Esch and Lefkow appeared on The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
in March 2009, Winfrey's co-hosts Mark Consuelos and Ali Wentworth applied Bacon Lip Balm during the interview.