Mastronardi Produce-owned brand launches playful campaign for National Tomato Month
A new campaign is being launched by Sunset to celebrate National Tomato Month, taking a playful approach to educating consumers about tomato flavour by adopting the approach sommeliers use to educate about wine.
A ‘Tommalier’ is described as a tomato sommelier – a tomato expert who can taste and distinguish between tomatoes, understands flavour nuances, and selects the best tomato to complement any dish.
The premise is that tomatoes vary in flavor as much as wine does, each with its own sweetness, acidity and crunch.
Sunset-certified Tommaliers will receive a commemorative certificate for their enthusiasm, described by brand owner Mastronardi Produce as ”either very silly or long overdue, depending how much you care about tomatoes”.
The social-first campaign will invite key influencers to work through a guided tomato flight, investigate flavour pairings, and share their expertise with others online and offline.
The flight features the Sunset Bombs family, including Flavor Bombs, Honey Bombs, Lolli Bombs and Sugar Bombs, alongside the new Sunset Tomato Branch.
Supported by PR initiatives, creator partnerships, in-person activations and retailer promotions, the campaign will run throughout October, launching with an Instagram mini series talking all things tomato and hosted by Milla Mastronardi.
As part of the campaign consumers are encouraged to follow along at home and try the Sunset tomato flight with friends and family. Tommalier ‘certification’ is open to anyone who follows along on social media throughout the month.
“We’ve built the Sunset tomato lineup by delivering flavour and freshness consistently,” said Paul Mastronardi, president and CEO at Mastronardi Produce. “What we haven’t done is give consumers the language to talk about it. That’s what a Tommalier learns, and we think it changes how shoppers look at and select tomatoes.”
