California Avocado Commission selects Curious Plot as agency of record

The Irvine, Calif.-based California Avocado Commission says it has chosen Curious Plot as its new agency of record.

In the spring and summer of 2023, CAC began a search to find a new consumer marketing agency that could conduct both consumer advertising and consumer public relations activities, thus streamlining agency management and gaining consistency in voice, the commission said in a news release.

Curious Plot has a unique business model focusing on clients in the food and agriculture space, the release said, with significant experience working with commodity boards and commissions, including current clients like Mushroom Council, National Watermelon Promotion Board, Potatoes USA and more.

“The commission is very excited to be working with the Curious Plot group,” CAC Vice President of Marketing Terry Splane said in the release. “Our teams fit together naturally and the transition has been seamless.”

CAC’s marketing staff and a team of board members participated in the agency search, with the objective of developing a new strategic approach to consumer communications and the intent to streamline the number of agencies working on the California avocado business, according to the release.

The commission said it plans to launch a new marketing campaign supporting the 2024 California avocado season.

During the search process, Curious Plot exhibited a blend of a strong strategic approach, excellent advertising creative, unique public relations activations and a partnership approach that melds very well with the CAC's needs, Splane said.

“We at Curious Plot are beyond thrilled to be selected as the California Avocado Commission’s agency of record,” Curious Plot CEO Laurie Fleck said in the release. “California Avocados is a premium brand we’ve long admired, and we grew more impressed with the Commission and its talented team during every phase of the agency review process. We are eager to work alongside this passionate and dedicated team in partnership with the greater California avocado industry to drive marketplace preference for California avocados.”

Curious Plot will spearhead California avocado consumer communications including advertising and social media, the release said. The agency also will support consumer public relations as well as customized retail marketing. The agency has broad capabilities in other marketing areas, including experience with retail and foodservice marketing, research and more, the release said.

“Creativity already is bubbling up from our combined team,” Splane said. “Beginning next season CAC will have a new marketing campaign helping to maintain consumer preference for California avocados among targeted consumers and encouraging the most valuable avocado shoppers to go to retailers and get some while they are in season.”