The Guac Effect: How Avocados Conquered the World (especially Millennials )

Today we’re talking about a food that has a chokehold on all millennials: Avocados

(Can any GenZ and boomer reader confirm if they too really like avocados?)

100 years ago, people didn’t know avocados existed. Today, it’s a staple fruit in many cultures and specially if you wanna sound more fancy at any dinner party, just order guacamole and pronounce it with a Spanish flair.

So, what made it so popular?

Health benefits? Yep.

Ease of access? Yes.

The marketing? YES

or Gwyneth Paltrow's Life-Changing Avocado Toast :D

People a few years ago: what’s an avocado?

People today: you don’t know what an avocado is?!

Let’s decode the power of marketing in the context of avocados

Problem #1:

Avocados weren’t always called avocados. They were called… Alligator Pears.

Because of the bumpy skin and pear-shape.

And that was a problem because, well, who wants to eat something called Alligator Pears?

In the early 1900s, avocados were grown mainly in California. The farmers there got together and started a petition: We need to change its name, formally, to make it sound more appetizing.

The proposed name was Ahuacate, a Spanish word. But they needed something more American. ‘Avocado’ was finally decided.

The perfect blend of exotic and easy-to-pronounce

Problem #2:

Nobody really knew how to eat the fruit.

People didn’t know they were supposed to wait for the fruit to ripen.

They didn’t know how to use it in recipes.

And it was never promoted in the context of Latin American cuisine.

Basically people didn’t know what to do with an avocado.

The California Avocado Commission legit hired a PR firm with a clear goal:

Rebrand, promote, and educate the public about avocados!

It was the 90s, and so they did the most 90s thing ever: they created a mascot for avocados!It was called “Mr. Ripe Guy”.

He drove an avocado-coloured car.

He carried an avocado-filled basket.

And a few years later he even got a Ms. Ripe!

It was a genius way to engage with the audience, create awareness and also create a health and wellness perception around avocados.

Problem #3:

It wasn’t becoming a mass-ey fruit.

This changed with one turning point: an integration with the Super Bowl.

An ad for avocados was run during the 2015 edition of the Super Bowl.

NFL players shared their favourite recipes.

Guac samples were given to fans & reporters.

It was a whole thing.

Who sponsored it? Avocados From Mexico!

Nothing bigger and more mainstream in America than the Super Bowl. Each ad spot costs millions of dollars and it all turned out to be worth it for the avocado industry.

After the ad, a bunch happened:

The sales of avocados in the US spiked

The crop value itself spiked

The erstwhile bans on imports of avocados were lifted!

Basically the marketing ensured that avocados became more accessible AND more valuable!

What else made avocados popular?

One, the rise of Mexican cuisine in America

As the Hispanic population grew, so did their restaurants. Their food struck a chord because of its flavours, versatility, and it’s convenience and on-the-go-nature. Core ingredient? Avos!

Two, the rise of veganism

Avocados were marketed not just as a healthy fruit but as a “vegan” meal.

It was almost like:

You eat avocados? Are you vegan?

This is crazy because which fruit isn’t vegan??? But somehow avocado became a vegan meal go-to!

Three, the millennial association

Every generation has a ‘thing’.

Boomers… happily answer phone calls?

GenZ… hates skinny jeans?

Millennials… love avocados ( quite literally)

The millennial love for avocados is next level. Here’s a little story for proof.

A few years ago, Virgin Trains introduced a “Millennial Railcard”. Basically millennials could get a discount if they used this card.

They created only 10,000 cards but there were around 5 million Brits who were eligible for it. So to make up for the blunder, they proposed an offer: Passengers could get the same discount… if they presented an avocado at the time of booking.

Millennial Railcard Avocado Railcard.

Same thing :P