Zing! #PublixPilgrims Twitter party crashed by Fair Food Nation…

[hupso title=”ZING! #PublixPilgrims twitter party crashed by #FairFoodNation…” url=”https://ciw-online.org/blog/2014/11/publix-twitter-party/”]

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One of the images used by Fair Food allies during Publix’s Thanksgiving “Twitter Party”

Two can play the social media game, as dozens of allies join the conversation during Publix’s Thanksgiving Twitter chat, trade recipes for justice rather than turkey!

Every year, as soon as the calendar flips to November, a familiar fall tradition begins here in Florida, courtesy of the state’s hometown grocer, Publix.  The supermarket giant’s famously idyllic commercials begin to flood the airwaves, featuring families gathering for the holidays and preparing their Thanksgiving feasts together, the makings of which — we are reminded with several not so subtle shots of the familiar green logo — were purchased at their local Publix.  Telling short stories of long lost relations returning after an absence, or listening in as grandparents reflect on life and family during the Thanksgiving blessing, the oddly compelling commercials do a remarkably effective job of associating the love and good cheer we all feel around the holiday season with the Publix brand.  

This year, Publix decided to take its holiday outreach a step further: Last Thursday, the supermarket hosted a “Twitter Party,” inviting followers and consumers to pose questions to Publix’s iconic Pilgrim salt & pepper shakers (themselves stars of one particularly memorable holiday commercial) about recipes and ideas for the upcoming Thanksgiving meal.

The Fair Food Nation, however, had a different, and far more pressing, question to pose the diminutive Publix representatives: Why in the world is Publix still refusing to join the Fair Food Program? 

It has been five long years since the Publix campaign was launched, a fact that is one of the central story lines in the upcoming documentary, “Food Chains.”  Over those five years, the Florida tomato industry in Publix’s back yard has been dramatically transformed.  The Fair Food Program has taken root and flourished, distributing over $15 million in penny-per-pound bonuses since its inception and ensuring the fundamental human rights of tens of thousands of farmworkers across the state of Florida.  Today, the Program is poised for expansion to other states and crops.  All the while, Publix has stubbornly refused to do its part to support these stunning advances, standing by the same tired excuses for inaction that they have given their customers and the press since 2009.

The growing realm of social media is a powerful venue for commercial communication, but it is equally powerful as an open forum for free speech as well, and the two functions met head to head last week as the Fair Food Nation took to Twitter to share the fact of Publix’s shameful refusal to support human rights with the internet.  There is not room enough to bring you a blow-by-blow of the back and forth, but we definitely wanted to share some highlights from the #PublixPilgrims Twitter Party:

At 3pm last Thursday, Publix was ready to go — and so were the country’s Fair Foodies…

And it was thus that the questions and comments from allies everywhere began to flood in, accompanied by the CIW’s now-classic “A Tale of Two Thanksgivings” holiday video and some stunning satirical graphics that evoked the Publix Pilgrim theme:

We were joined by Fair Food Committees and allies not only in Florida, but across the states — including the intrepid #TomatoRabbis, who just recently concluded a visit to Immokalee!

What’s more, Publix consumer participants, who had come ready with their questions about turkey, certainly also took note of the calls for Fair Food — and even took up the cause (or at least, enjoyed the ride)….

In defeat, Publix went so far as to close down the hour-long Twitter party with 10 minutes to spare…

… but even so, Fair Food Nation had the last word:

Now, that is some holiday spirit!  We hope you enjoyed this Thanksgiving bulletin from the world of social media, and we encourage everyone to continue urging Publix — on Twitter and otherwise — to do the right thing this Thanksgiving, and respect the farmworker families who harvest their tomatoes.