Product type | Terracotta figurine |
---|---|
Owner | Joseph Enterprises |
Produced by | Mexico China |
Country | United States |
Introduced | 1977 |
Markets | International |
Tagline | Watch It Grow! |
Website | chia.com |
An alligator Chia Pet |
Chia Pets are American styled terracotta figurines used to sprout chia, where the chia sprouts grow within a couple of weeks to resemble the animal's fur or hair. [1] [2] Moistened chia seeds ( Salvia hispanica ) are applied to a grooved terracotta figurine. [2]
The Chia Pet was marketed and popularized by Joseph Pedott. [3] Pedott first learned about "something called the Chia Pet" being imported from Oaxaca, Mexico, when he attended a housewares show in Chicago in 1977. Negotiating the rights from importer Walter Houston, Pedott began marketing Chia Pets in the US. [1]
The first Chia Pet was created on September 8, 1977. [4] [5] A trademark registration was filed on Monday, October 17, 1977. [6] They were produced by Pedott's San Francisco-based company, Joseph Enterprises, Inc., [1] which was purchased by National Entertainment Collectibles Association in 2018. [7] They achieved popularity in the 1980s following the 1982 release of a ram, the first widely distributed Chia Pet. [5] Originally made in Mexico, Chia Pets are now produced in China. [1]
The catchphrase sung in the TV commercial as the plant grows in time lapse is "Ch-ch-ch-chia!" This catchphrase originated at an agency brainstorming meeting, where one of the individuals present pretended to stutter the product name. [1] As of 2019, approximately 15 million Chia Pets were sold annually with most sales during the holiday season. [1] [2] In 2000, a Chia Pet was included inside a New York Times time capsule to be opened in the year 3000. [8]
A range of generic animals has been produced, including a turtle, pig, puppy, kitten, frog, and hippopotamus. Cartoon characters have also been licensed, including Garfield, Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, Shrek, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob. [4] Additionally, there are Chia Pets depicting real people, including Barack Obama and Bob Ross. [4]
Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta, is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware objects of certain types, as set out below.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing animal cruelty. Based in New York City since its inception in 1866, the organization's mission is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States."
Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth.
Salvia hispanica, one of several related species commonly known as chia, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. It is considered a pseudocereal, cultivated for its edible, hydrophilic chia seed, grown and commonly used as food in several countries of western South America, western Mexico, and the southwestern United States.
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Joseph Enterprises, Inc is a gadget company founded by Joseph Pedott and based in San Francisco, California, United States, North America. Two of their most popular products are The Clapper and the Chia Pet.
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