Well, perhaps “celebrating” isn't quite the right word, unless you're a fan of that rather curious food-like substance found within the famous SPAM® cans. That's right, it has now been 75 long years of industrial-grade canned nourishment since SPAM was first thrust upon an unsuspecting world. This has resulted in more then 8 billion cans consumed to date and a product line that now includes such delicacies as Hickory Smoked, Hot & Spicy and Oven Roasted Turkey (how else would you roast a turkey?). Nice to see poultry and pork together again. You can even buy a SPAM hat, as shown above.
What's fascinating is how such a marginal product has been able to not just survive but prosper all these years. The answer, as is usually the case for such things, is to be found in SPAM's branding, which has been recently refreshed by the introduction of the peppy Sir Can A-Lot™ character. Nicole L. Behne, product manager of the SPAM family of products, tells us that “The introduction of Sir Can-A-Lot provides an engaging presence that highlights the playful and down-to-earth personality that makes the SPAM brand both unique and timeless.” There you have it, SPAM is simultaneously “playful and down to earth.”
The current expression of this brand identity is of course the aptly-named Sir Can-A-Lot, who will be SPAM's spokescharacter in online ads and TV for this anniversary year, culminating in a birthday blast of meaty proportions on July 5. But there's no need to wait until then. Below are some of the new commercials, as well as the immortal Monty Python skit. Once you're done, you can check out the redesigned spam.com site, naturally featuring Sir Can A-Lot, on which you can purchase gear, such as the bizarre hat shown above. And ponder the wonders of branding.
