The PERDUE brand continues to make advertising history by introducing a fourth-generation of family advertising spokespersons in what are also the first national TV ads to promote USDA certified organic chicken.
Chris and Ryan Perdue, part of the fourth generation of Perdues working in the family business, join their father, chairman and long-time advertising spokesperson Jim Perdue, in two new commercials featuring PERDUE HARVESTLAND organic chicken. The new posts launched nationally September 5.
“Given the number of game-changing initiatives Perdue has brought to the market with no antibiotics ever and positive changes in animal care, and the increasing demand for organic, it was the right time to add something new to our advertising” says Eric Christianson, Perdue’s senior vice president of marketing and innovation. “We had to look no further than Jim’s sons to convey that continued market leadership and brand recognition.”
Jim first appeared in TV commercials with this father, Frank, in 1994. Frank’s TV commercials, which started in 1970 and included the now-famous tagline, “It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken,” are considered the first major TV ads to feature a company leader as spokesperson, and are credited with helping Perdue become the first company to successfully brand chicken. Company founder Arthur W. Perdue also appeared in an early TV spot alongside his son, Frank.
“Family is an important part of the Perdue story,” says Jim Perdue. “Our advertising is one small part of that story. We have four fourth generation family members in the company, and those family members will continue to carry our values forward.”
“Chris and I grew up learning from our grandfather and watching dad on TV, so we value the trust consumers place in the PERDUE brand,” says Ryan Perdue.
Jim Perdue, the third generation to lead the family-owned company, will continue to appear in PERDUE brand advertising. For Chris and Ryan, it was their first time in front of the cameras for a PERDUE commercial, a parallel their dad was quick to recognize. “I made my advertising debut with dad after he had three decades of experience doing commercials,” said Jim Perdue. “This was a lot more fun.”
“It’s a real honor for Ryan and me to do these commercials with our dad,” says his brother Chris. “We also learned it’s a lot harder than it looks.”
The new ads, shot on a farm raising organic chickens for Perdue, comically capture generational differences between Jim and his sons. The contrast of old and new ways parallels Perdue’s progressive changes.
“We know that current and future consumers demand transparency. They care about where food comes from, and how it gets to their plate. Continuously improving animal care—and sharing that progress—is one of the ways we’re changing to maintain and expand consumer trust in the PERDUE brand,” says Jim Perdue. “That includes incorporating some of what we’ve been learning from organic practices into how we raise all our chickens.”
