Pork. The Other White Meat
Encyclopedia
"Pork. The Other White Meat." was an advertising slogan
developed by advertising agency Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt in 1987 for the National Pork Board
. The campaign was paid for using a checkoff fee (tax) collected from the initial sale of all pigs and pork products, including imports. Despite this commercial branding, pork is not a white meat according to the United States Department of Agriculture
.
alternative to chicken or turkey, offering entrees such as cordon bleu, kabobs and pork à l'orange. The $7 million budget contrasted to the $30 million spent primarily on network television ads for the "Beef: It's What's for Dinner" campaign from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association
, and the $112 million spent on ads for branded chickens.
Print ads have encouraged consumers to rethink the way they prepare meals, including an ad written in the style of an obituary that depicts a woman who is mourning "the passing of her long-lived tuna chow mein casserole recipe", which will be replaced "by a new recipe for Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin".
Data collected by the USDA's Economic Research Service
showed that pork consumption following the introduction of the Board's promotion programs had risen from 45.6 pounds (20.7 kg) per capita in 1987 and reaching a peak of 49.3 pounds (22.4 kg) per person in 1999, dropping to 48.5 pounds (22 kg) in 2003. By contrast, beef consumption had declined from 69.5 pounds (31.5 kg) per American in 1987 to 62 pounds (28.1 kg) in 2003.
Advertising slogan
Advertising slogans are short, often memorable phrases used in advertising campaigns. They are claimed to be the most effective means of drawing attention to one or more aspects of a product. A strapline is a British term used as a secondary sentence attached to a brand name...
developed by advertising agency Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt in 1987 for the National Pork Board
National Pork Board
The National Pork Board, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa is a quasigovernmental body of the United States government that was established under the terms of the Pork Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1985, also known as the Pork Act, which was included as part of the 1985...
. The campaign was paid for using a checkoff fee (tax) collected from the initial sale of all pigs and pork products, including imports. Despite this commercial branding, pork is not a white meat according to the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
.
Advertisements
The program's television ad campaign began on March 2, 1987, with a series of advertisements that pitched pork as a white meatWhite meat
White meat or light meat refers to the lighter-colored meat of poultry as contrasted with dark meat. In a more general sense, white meat may also refer to any lighter-colored meat, as contrasted with red meats like beef and some types of game....
alternative to chicken or turkey, offering entrees such as cordon bleu, kabobs and pork à l'orange. The $7 million budget contrasted to the $30 million spent primarily on network television ads for the "Beef: It's What's for Dinner" campaign from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
National Cattlemen's Beef Association or NCBA, an advocacy group for beef producers in the United States, reports that it works "to increase profit opportunities for cattle and beef producers by enhancing the business climate and building consumer demand."The NCBA operates the Cattle Industry...
, and the $112 million spent on ads for branded chickens.
Print ads have encouraged consumers to rethink the way they prepare meals, including an ad written in the style of an obituary that depicts a woman who is mourning "the passing of her long-lived tuna chow mein casserole recipe", which will be replaced "by a new recipe for Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin".
Results
With a program promoting pork using the slogan as a lean meat to health-conscious consumers, pork sales in the United States rose 20%, reaching $30 billion annually by 1991.Data collected by the USDA's Economic Research Service
Economic Research Service
The Economic Research Service is the main source of economic information and research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Located in Washington D.C., the mission of ERS is to inform and enhance public and private decision-making on economic and policy issues related to agriculture, food,...
showed that pork consumption following the introduction of the Board's promotion programs had risen from 45.6 pounds (20.7 kg) per capita in 1987 and reaching a peak of 49.3 pounds (22.4 kg) per person in 1999, dropping to 48.5 pounds (22 kg) in 2003. By contrast, beef consumption had declined from 69.5 pounds (31.5 kg) per American in 1987 to 62 pounds (28.1 kg) in 2003.