Oh dear, it's not easy to be gefilte fish - that's well known. Ground fish is not the most sparkling culinary star on the plate and is usually treated either of close love of worship or reluctance, but what would you say if we told you that a leading and well-known chain in the United States decided to take the gray patty to the dessert realms and turned it into nothing less than ice cream?
Yes, you read that right. Ice cream, the main ingredient of which is fish. Sound delusional? Well, you're absolutely right, because this is trolling, but one that was done so well and convincingly that it managed to spark a heated and emotional discussion on Twitter, where the fictitious advertising campaign was launched.
They said we shouldn't. But we did! 🍨🍦 Enjoy! #LimitedEdition 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/077w6Eo3Wm
— Manischewitz (@ManischewitzCo) July 4, 2023
So who is the mastermind behind the idea? The managers of the Manishevitz Food Company, a veteran food brand of kosher products founded in 1888 and best known for its matzah and kosher wine (the one that even starred in Adam Sandler's song "The Chanukah Song"). The chain teamed up with an advertising agency called Joseph Jacobs Advertising and together in a creative brainstorming session they decided to launch an advertisement on three completely fictitious new ice cream flavors (as of now): Filte Fish, black and white cookies and Kneidlach soup.
"Ice cream with nail polish of chutzpah," read the company's official Twitter page, underneath a picture with the packaging of the three flavors of ice cream, which of course looked completely real. "We were told not to do it, but we did. Enjoy," reads the text accompanying the image with a hashtag indicating that it is a limited edition.
Since the company's Twitter page was posted, the tweet has garnered 414,<> views and nearly six hundred likes with a similar number of retweets and shares. All this to remind them about a product that does not exist at all. The reactions ranged from wondering if it was a real product or curiosity and a desire to experiment with the bizarre flavors, to shock, disgust, rage and cynicism on the other. Among the users' reactions were extremists from people who claimed that the move caused them to side with anti-Semitism. "I join the fight against anti-Semitism from the side of anti-Semites," wrote an angry commenter who believed it was a real product. Another wrote: "Every day we stray more from God's way," while another added: "There is audacity and there is a crime against food."
I'm joining the war on antisemitism...
On the side of antisemitism https://t.co/97EUdxrrdN
— doubting tammuz (@flaminhottweets) July 4, 2023
This is not the first time that Manishevich has stirred up a storm over fictitious products and campaigns, nor is it the first time that Gefilte has been at the forefront of provocation. Last year, the chain chose, in a rather similar move: a new product of gefilte fish sausages, and even then the reactions were unfavorable, to say the least. "None of us asked for this," tweeted an angry user, adding: "This is a crime against humanity and you should be tried in The Hague."
So what brings the company to launch such outrageous campaigns? Bush. "That's how you make a brand that has existed for more than 130 years remain relevant even when it reaches 260 years of existence," explained Eli Rosenfeld, director of the advertising agency behind the campaign, adding: "We balance the serious side of the company on Facebook and Instagram with the more rebellious and contemporary side of Twitter. The goal is not to alienate customers and create provocation, but to remain relevant and generate interest and discussion in the modern era," he concluded.
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