Only two-thirds of Americans know what a cranberry bog is, according to Ocean Spray research. Equally few know how cranberries are harvested. And heaven knows how many think the berries grow naturally in that ridged, tin-can shape.
So as part of its effort to get consumers thinking cranberry in the holiday run-up, the company will roll out for the second year a series of freestanding cranberry bog environments in some of the nation’s busiest downtown locales during the first three weeks of November.
From Nov. 1-3, passersby in New York’s Rockefeller Center will be able to marvel at the site of about 2000 pounds of cranberries floating in a 1,500-square-foot pool. An even larger bog will spring up on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue Nov. 7-9. And a third installation will crop up Nov. 15-17 in Los Angeles, next to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
In each location, veteran cranberry growers will be on hand to explain the harvest procedure. The berries grow on vines or low shrubs, and at harvest, the fields are flooded with eight to 10 inches of water. That makes the berries float on the water’s surface and simplifies harvesting.
But the public may be equally taken by the two actors who portray unnamed cranberry farmers in Ocean Spray’s TV spots. The pair will put in an appearance on the first day of each of the three events.
Meanwhile, on Nov. 1 Ocean Spray will announce the winner of its first annual Ultimate Cranberry Recipe contest. The entrant whose recipe makes the best use of cranberries will receive a $25,000 check and a year’s supply of Ocean Spray cranberries. Recipes from the top four finalists will also be available for download on http://www.oceanspray.com.
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