• by Erik Oster , November 15, 2023

A plethora of product partnerships present a preponderance of persuasive evidence for pickles’ persistent, prospering popularity.

Pickles have been a hot item, with brands finding ways to cross-pollinate everything from hard seltzer to hot sauce, and Heinz’s new Pickle Ketchup – to say nothing of the happy coupling of dill pickle flavor and potato chips which has been an enduring fan favorite for years now. And yet, there is no pickle emoji. What gives?

That’s the thinking behind a petition from Grillo’s Pickles’ petition calling for a pickle emoji, which the brand launched ahead of National Pickle Day, Nov. 14, gaining support from plate-adjacent brands like Whisps and Ithaca Hummus.

Taking to its social channels, the brand playfully called on fans to join a petition to add an emoji for pickled cucumbers -- explaining why it felt the existing cucumber emoji option didn’t work, since it left room for confusion. Among the brand’s arguments? You don’t want somebody showing up to a party with a bunch of plain, raw cucumbers because of a miscommunication. You want them showing up with some whole sours or hearty dills. Interested fans can sign the petition via the brand’s landing page for its emoji advocacy campaign.

While unlikely to result in a separate pickle emoji (to append the existing whole cucumber one), the petition doubles as a way for the brand to build out its email list for direct marketing efforts (see the “By providing your email address, you'll also receive occasional emails about Grillo's news and savings” disclaimer at the bottom of the petition). The stunt may also gain the brand some notoriety, and falls squarely within the playful brand voice Grillo’s has generated on social channels -- as exemplified in its National Sandwich Day Instagram post featuring photos of an ice cream sandwich, hot dogs and tacos -- and through lighthearted merch like its “Probably Pickle Juice” water bottle. It’s also been known to dabble in quirky collaborations, like the recent Pickle Hard Seltzer partnership with Two Robbers.