GROWING THE GOODNESS
“Can A Week” Campaign Turns 35! To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the iconic “Can a Week” ad campaign series, which was launched in 1986, we’ve connected with some of the growers who participated 35 years ago! We asked them about their experience, and they shared fond memories along with photographs from the production.
Dan Cummings, the Chairman of the Blue Diamond Board, shared his memories of the campaign. His family has been Blue Diamond members since 1928, starting with his grandfather. In the ad, Cummings wore a white tuxedo to marry Steve VanDuynt’s cousin, Jeannie Betschart DeSimone. He had fun participating with other growers and the marketing team at that time including Al Greenlee and Chris McGlasson. The Montgomery family has been farming since 1910. Mark Montgomery is unsure when his grandfather became a member of Blue Diamond , but he believes it to be over 100 years ago. They have been members his entire life of 71 years and for all his father’s life.
Mark, Kathi, and their son Fred were excited at the opportunity to audition for the campaign and even more thrilled when they were selected. Kathi enjoyed the whole process and believes that consumers could relate to the campaign since real almond growers were advertising their own product. She remembers the director agreeing, saying that the growers were just what they were looking for with this campaign since they were real farmers, not actors. Kathi understands that younger generations enjoy the homespun feel of raw videos, like what’s on TikTok, and she would like to see the “Can a Week” campaign reinvented, even encouraging Fred and his two children to participate.
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