First there was the Chiquita banana lady, who danced around in a Carmen Miranda-like get-up. Then, Taco Bell’s talking Chihuahua came on the scene.
Now, a Columbus-based meat packing company may be onto another attention-grabbing mascot-of-sorts. Get ready for the Bahama Mama.
That’s right. The folks at Ohio Packing Co. are trying to attach not just a face, but a whole personality to the popular spicy sausage brand.
“Obviously we want a clean-cut person and personality matters more than physical appearance,” says Walt Wilke, president and CEO of Ohio Packing. Still, he adds: “It would be nice to get somebody from the islands with a Caribbean accent.”
The company’s marketing firm has been screening candidates since last summer and a size 10, outgoing woman of color seems to best fit the bill, says Marketing Works President Brenda Stier. One such lady even got a trial run at a food show last fall.
“The Bahama Mama is a fun item to work with,” Wilke says. “There are a lot of possibilities for marketing with that kind of name, so we’re testing it.”
Ultimately, the company would like to have at least three Bahama Mamas at the ready to make promotional appearances, he adds.
