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, California-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 [5] Originally made in Mexico, Chia Pets are now produced in China.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]
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, California-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]