Today Wonderful Pistachios, known for its iconic “Get Crackin’” ads, launched its biggest “Get Crackin’” advertising campaign ever, investing $55 million to support the largest pistachio crop in history. The irreverent and comedic commercials feature a really big star—literally—with the introduction of Ernie the Elephant. This pistachio-loving, health-conscious, somewhat bold, always hilarious, computer-generated spokes-elephant refuses to work for peanuts and is voiced by WWE Superstar John Cena (“Trainwreck,” Fox’s “American Grit”).

“Ernie and I are alike in many ways,” said Cena. “We’re both fun-loving guys, confident in our choices. I’m excited to join Wonderful Pistachios’s popular ‘Get Crackin’’ campaign by bringing to life its newest character, Ernie the Elephant, whose favorite food is Wonderful Pistachios. Whether you’re in the ring, on the go, at work, or hanging out with friends, Wonderful Pistachios is a fun, healthy snack that’s a good source of protein and fiber, and a strong foundation for good nutritional choices.”

Ernie the Elephant makes his debut in two commercials, which air during tonight’s “Monday Night Football,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and more.  In one spot, Ernie attends a baseball game, touting Wonderful Pistachios as a superior snack to those tired old peanuts sold at the stadium. Another features Ernie as “the elephant in the room”—or elevator—talking up pistachios, while his tons-of-fun personality tests the elevator’s weight sensors. In the coming months, eight more commercials will air and pistachio lovers will witness Ernie’s unique take on elephant stereotypes, supermarket shopping, working out, lady squirrels and airport travel.

Later this football season, two more spots feature Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman schooling Ernie with his best defensive moves—and his famous trash talk—both on and off the field. As one of the smartest players in football, Sherman not only matches wits with Ernie in the “Get Crackin’” campaign, he demonstrates Wonderful Pistachios’s commitment to healthy eating through a series of “Snack Smarter” digital videos, educating football fans on the nutritional benefits of Wonderful Pistachios compared to other unhealthy salty snacks, such as nachos and crackers.

“Ernie and I know that choosing Wonderful Pistachios as your game-day snack is sure to score big at home,” said Sherman. “And we encourage fans to trade in their salty snacks for something new this season. To snack smarter, fans should crack open Wonderful Pistachios, a natural, guilt-free option that’s one of the lowest-calorie and highest protein nuts.”

The newest evolution of the “Get Crackin’” campaign was created by Wonderful Pistachios’s in-house creative team, Wonderful Agency. Ernie was animated by Moving Picture Company (MPC), the Academy Award-winning global creative studio behind VFX for Disney’s recent hit film “The Jungle Book.” The campaign will be amplified by print and outdoor advertising, in-store POS, a large-scale digital and social media campaign, and public relations. In addition, Wonderful Pistachios and their new spokes-elephant Ernie are committed to elephant conservation and will soon announce how they will join the herd in protecting the future of elephants worldwide.

“Stephen Colbert has moved on. Ernie the Elephant has moved in,” said Michael Perdigao, president, Wonderful Agency. “Our “Get Crackin’” campaign has featured some of Hollywood’s hottest talent: Snoop Dogg, Khloé Kardashian and even Miss Piggy. This year we’re going back to the animal kingdom with Ernie the Elephant who’s bringing along some top-name talent of his own with WWE Superstar John Cena as his voice and the NFL’s best cornerback, Richard Sherman, as one of his best buds. We’ve got tons of pistachios to sell this year and a multi-ton elephant to help us do it!”

Adam Cooper, vice president of marketing, Wonderful Pistachios, added, “The industry is harvesting a record-setting 800 million pounds of pistachios this season, so it’s time to go big or go home! It’s only natural we go big in every way—a big new “Get Crackin’” campaign, with our biggest star, Ernie the Elephant. People love snacking—in fact, snacking makes up half of all eating occasions in America—so our goal is to make healthy Wonderful Pistachios even more accessible to everyone. Ernie will help drive awareness and remind pistachio fans to “Get Crackin’” every day and on every snack occasion.”

For more information on Wonderful Pistachios, the “Get Crackin’” campaign, or to view current and past commercial spots, please visit GetCrackin.com or Facebook at Facebook.com/WonderfulPistachios.

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds is the world’s largest vertically integrated pistachio and almond grower and processor. Located in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley, Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds owns, cultivates and harvests more than 65,000 acres of pistachio and almond orchards. Our world-class operation supplies both industrial and retail customers, offering high-quality, consistent supply and adherence to rigorous food safety standards. Our nuts can be found in stores nationwide under the flagship retail brands of Wonderful Pistachios® and Wonderful Almonds®.

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds is part of The Wonderful Company, a successful, fast-growing privately held $4 billion company with 7,800 employees worldwide. Our success goes beyond Wonderful Pistachios. We’ve turned pomegranates and POM Wonderful into a worldwide phenomenon. Wonderful Halos is the No. 1 mandarin orange in America. FIJI Water is the No. 1 premium bottled water in America. JUSTIN Wine produces California’s top-selling Cabernet Sauvignon and, in 2015, JUSTIN was named “American Winery of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. And Teleflora is the world’s largest floral delivery service.

The Wonderful Company has a long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibility, including more than $120 million invested in environmental technologies and sustainability research, $45 million in philanthropic giving and education initiatives every year, $30 million toward the construction of a new charter school campus in California’s Central Valley, and innovative health and wellness programs, including two new, free primary care clinics for employees and their families. 

To learn more about The Wonderful Company, its products and core values, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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