WEST GROVE, PA - “Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and caldron bubble,” goes the "Witches Song" in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I listen to this catchy tune while I cook over my vat of eye of newt and toe of frog every Halloween season. This year, I can’t wait to throw in a clove—or 10—of I Love Produce’s Monster Garlic to celebrate the onset of the company’s OctCLOVErfest promotion. If you want a merchandising opportunity that is more enticing than candy corn, just sit back, and let me tell you what I Love Produce has in store for consumers looking for fun ways to enjoy the holiday—and retailers wanting to help them with all their vampire-extinguishing needs.
“In addition to instructional fliers that consumers can take home with them to provide them decoration inspiration and how-to create their own creepy creations, retailers can also take advantage of shelf talkers featuring Elvira and decorated Monster Garlic, a stand-up photo cutout of Elvira with decorated garlic that consumers can take photos with, in-store radio spots featuring Elvira herself, and direction to the OctCLOVErfest.com site, where consumers can see decorating how-to videos, instructions, and photos of decorated garlic to inspire their creations!” Jim Provost, President, tells me. “OctCLOVErfest will also be promoted via I Love Produce’s and Elvira’s social media channels, and consumers can share their decorated garlic or photos of Elvira via the #OctCLOVErfest hashtag.”
With so many engagement opportunities, it is hard to resist garlic-filled dishes. However, for consumers not so keen on the robust flavor of garlic, there are many ways to attract their eyes—as the one and only Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and self-professed Queen of Garlic, will tell you.
“This is a great tie-in with Halloween because you’ll be decorating with garlic to keep vampires and evil spirits away. This is a fantastic new and different way to celebrate. It’s an innovative way to have fun at Halloween,” Elvira shares with me.
Thankfully, retailers will be able to get their hands on a lot of good looking garlic this season—no Ghostbusters needed with the addition of a beautiful garlic wreath. Whatever way you frame it, I Love Produce’s Monster Garlic is a great way to promote the tasty ingredient in a BIG way, quite literally.
“We are using Spanish garlic for our OctCLOVErfest promotion because it has pure white skins and has excellent size—perfect for eating and decorating! Spain has a long history of producing some of the very best garlic in the world with exceptional flavor,” Jim shares with me.
For those looking to dress up their garlic displays, boy, does I Love Produce have a trick—or treat—for you!
“I Love Produce recommends cross-merchandising Monster Garlic with decorating supplies, such as non-toxic food coloring and markers, to provide added convenience for the consumer and provide additional sales to retailers,” Jim shares. “Monster Garlic is the perfect addition to other Halloween-themed items in the produce department, such as pumpkins, maize corn, and candied apples.”
Consumers’ eyes will light up like a Jack-O-Lantern full of excitement when they see the unique OctCLOVErfest-themed 10-bulk display boxes filled with Monster Garlic that can be stacked proudly throughout the store as part of a pallet program. The bulk weighs between 3 and 4 ounces, with the net case weight of about 2 pounds, and the gross weight is about 2.5 pounds. The box’s dimensions are 11.75” length x 7.5” width x 3.25” tall. Further, 20 boxes per layer x 30/tier equals out to 600 boxes per pallet. The company can make waist-high pallets that are 12 layers and have 240 boxes for its pallet programs. Talk about a way to ring in a Halloween celebration!
This brings me back to Elvira’s advice when I asked her about the importance of merchandising Monster Garlic this season.
“Garlic—decorate it, cook it, repel vampires with it,” Elvira tells, transforming the want for garlic into a full-on need since our lives—and our dishes—depend upon it!
If you are looking for a great recipe, Elvira has a tried-and-true go-to potion to ward off vampires on the hunt this holiday season.
ELVIRA'S SIMPLE MARINARA SAUCE
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2-3 cloves garlic (cut in half, lengthwise)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 large Can (28 oz) chopped tomatoes with basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basic (or 6 leaves fresh basil)
- 1 Tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in an 8 to 10 inch skillet that has a cover. Add the cut garlic pieces to the pan when the oil is hot and sauté until they are golden, turning once or twice. Be careful not to burn them! Meanwhile, put the tomatoes in a blender at the lowest speed for not more than a few seconds. You still want them chunky—not pureed. (You can skip this step if you’re short on time.)
When the garlic is golden brown on both sides, remove from the flame and let the oil cool a few minutes before adding the tomatoes. Turn the flame back on and add the dried oregano and basil. (If you’re using fresh basil, don’t add until the end.) Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil (use your lid or you’ll have sauce all over the place!) Turn down the heat, cover the pan, and let the sauce simmer slowly for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and add the wine and fresh basil. Simmer on low another 5 minutes then turn off the flame. Remove the garlic pieces and your sauce is ready to serve over the pasta of your choice. Pass the parmesan cheese!
For more ways to put a spell on consumers as they peruse the produce aisle, check back in with AndNowUKnow.
