In an open letter written on behalf of Dole Sunshine Company (DSC) by Grey London agency, Pope Francis is respectfully asked to reconsider the forbidden fruit’s sinful status and reverse the “biggest PR disaster fruit has ever faced: the calamity of Original Sin.” By addressing the Pope directly, the company wants to make sure that “no fruit should be forbidden.”
Coinciding with International Fruit Day, the letter — published in the Pope’s preferred newspaper, La Repubblica — was created to ask His Holiness to please rethink the bad reputation fruit has been having for thousands of years and absolve it from any sin that has been associated with. Because, if one really thinks about it, the “forbidden” tag that accompanies the fruit doesn’t actually reflect the reality — after all, isn’t fruit part of a nutritious and healthy diet?
That’s exactly DSC’s point: As one of the largest fruit providers in the world, the brand wants to raise awareness about the important role fruit plays in helping people achieve a nutritious diet and, thus, a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
And since most of humanity associates the Original Sin with the fruit — the apple supposedly being considered the source of the evil — the company believes that the Pontiff can provide some help by making a tiny edit to the Bible: Update the apple from Original Sin to Original Snack by replacing the “fruit” word with any other unhealthy food.
The fun letter, which looks to place the fruit as the Original “Healthy” Snack, is aimed at sparking global conversation around the importance of including fruit in people’s everyday menus. Although DSC admits that the apple was never mentioned by name in the Christian Holy Book, it is this fruit that has been wrongly blamed for the Original Sin.
But given that we live in a world where there are other sinful gastronomic temptations, it becomes clear that it is time for the apple to no longer be considered the villain but rather a hero ingredient, as it is a food rich in vitamins so beneficial for the human organism.
“We understand that requesting this change is a bold and provocative ask, and we of course mean no disrespect to His Holiness or The Church,” explains Pier Luigi Sigismondi, President of Dole Packaged Foods & Beverages Group. “We believe if we can resolve this misrepresentation of fruit, we can start a new global narrative that focuses on its benefits, and creates new, healthier eating habits that are consistent with our purpose to bring good nutrition to all.”
Before the letter comes to an end, DSC humbly asks the Pope “for the absolution that only you can offer.” Obviously, the company understands that His Holiness might be too busy and that the request probably sounds too ambitious. Still, DSC hopes that the Vatican will support it in “restoring the world’s faith in our beloved fruits.”
Credits:
Client: Dole Sunshine Company
Agency: Grey London
President & CCO: Laura Jordan Bambach
Worldwide CCO: Javier Campopiano
Global Creative Chairman: John Patroulis
Head of Art: Costanza Rossi
Group Creative Director: Roberto Kilciauskas, Pedro Rosa
Copywriter: Roberto Kilciauskas, Sam Haynes
Art Director: Pedro Rosa, John Gibson
CSO: Raquel Chicourel
Joint Managing Director: Jonny Tennant Price
Group Business Director: Jo Heywood, Ryan Lacey
Director of Connected Culture: Olivia Clarkson
Illustrator: Greg Coulton
Agency Producer: Marie Hughes, India Smith, Hananha Willers
Social Agency: High, Wide & Handsome
Partner/Vice President, Strategy & Content: Sara Dunaj
Co-Founder, Director of Client Services: Magnus Morgan
Associate Director of social media: Michelle Naden
Senior Manager of social media: Caroline Cook
Social Media Manager: Alex Green
PR Agency: Peppercomm
Media Agency: Spark Foundary
Production Company: Gramercy Park Studios