Chia Pet
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| Product type | Terracotta figurine |
|---|---|
| Owner | Joseph Enterprises |
| Produced by | Mexico China |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1977 |
| Markets | International |
| Tagline | Watch It Grow! |
| Website | chia.com |
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| An alligator Chia Pet | |
Chia Pets are American styled terracotta figurines used to sprout chia, where the chia sprouts grow within a couple of weeks to resemble the animal's fur or hair.[1][2] Moistened chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) are applied to a grooved terracotta figurine.[2]
The Chia Pet is marketed by Joe Pedott and produced by San Francisco, California-based company Joseph Enterprises, Inc.[1] The first Chia Pet was created on September 8, 1977.[3][4] A trademark registration was filed on Monday, October 17, 1977.[5] Pedott first learned about "something called the Chia Pet" being imported from Mexico when he attended a housewares show in Chicago in 1977. Negotiating the rights, Pedott began marketing Chia Pets in the US.[1] They achieved popularity in the 1980s following the 1982 release of a ram, the first widely distributed Chia Pet.[4]
The catchphrase sung in the TV commercial as the plant grows in time lapse is "Ch-ch-ch-chia!". This catchphrase originated at an agency brainstorming meeting, where one of the individuals present pretended to stutter the product name.[1] As of 2019, approximately 15 million Chia Pets were sold annually with most sales during the holiday season.[1][2] Originally made in Mexico, Chia Pets are now produced in China.[1]
A range of generic animals has been produced, including a turtle, pig, puppy, kitten, frog, and hippopotamus. Cartoon characters have also been licensed, including Garfield, Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, Shrek, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob.[3] Additionally, there are Chia Pets depicting real people, including Barack Obama and Bob Ross.[3]
Joseph Enterprises sells replacement seeds for Chia products and also sells chia seeds in bulk as a nutritional supplement.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Edwards, Owen (2007-12-01). "Chia Pet". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c "An American Icon: the Chia Pet". Chia.com. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c Chia Products Archived August 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Chia.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-10.
- ^ a b Green Space: It’s beginning to look a lot like Chia, everywhere you go – Framingham, MA Archived March 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. The MetroWest Daily News. December 11, 2010. Retrieved on 2012-01-10.
- ^ CHIA PET – Reviews & Brand Information – Encap Products Company Mt. Prospect, IL – Serial Number: 73144986. Socialmedia.trademarkia.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-10.
- ^ "Chia Seeds - Chia Seed Recipes, Chia Seed Health Benefits". Chia.com. Archived from the original on 2015-08-13. Retrieved January 9, 2018.