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bunniefuu
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For general comments and inquiries about TABASCO® brand products, McIlhenny Company, or the TABASCO® web site, send email to WhatsCooking@TABASCO.com .
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Click here: <[url=http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.crashdown.com/setvisit/tabasco.shtml>]www.crashdown.com/setvisi...sco.shtml>[/url] Roswell:
Special: Tabasco Joins
www.crashdown.com/setvisit/tabasco.shtml
Hot Sauce Maker Stands with Roswell Fans
by Kenn Gold (NetRanger@fanforum.com NetRanger@fanforum.com> )
March 27, 2002
Most corporations that have been the focus of past fan campaigns to save a
television show might be worried to learn that a current campaign is
targeting them as well. McIlhenny Company, which produces Tabasco brand hot
sauce, has been associated with Roswell (and more importantly, with fans of
the TV show) for the last three years.
Towards the end of Roswell's first season, rumors began circulating that the
show was slated for cancellation, and a grassroots fan movement was born.
The campaign, promoted on the website Crashdown.com, involved sending
letters of support for the show to network executives at the WB, along with
bottles of Tabasco. The "Roswell is Hot" campaign would result in more than
6,000 bottles of Tabasco being sent to the WB network, as well as to various
media outlets.
National press features on the campaign followed ( NYpost
<[url=http://www.crashdown.com/nypost/nypost.html>]www.crashdown.com/nypost/nypost.html>[/url] , Zap2It
<alliance.zap2it.com/inter...re-963,00.
html> , space.com
<[url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/roswell_campaign_000410.html>]www.space.com/sciencefict...0410.html>[/url] ,
NYTimes <[url=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/10/arts/10HOLL.html?searchpv=day01>]www.nytimes.com/2001/06/1...hpv=day01>[/url]
, Washington <[url=http://detnews.com/2000/entertainment/0012/27/c05-167827.htm>]detnews.com/2000/entertai...67827.htm>[/url]
Post, Seattle Post <[url=http://katherine-heigl.com/spimay1500.html>]katherine-heigl.com/spimay1500.html>[/url] ) , which
would begin the long-term (but unofficial) association between Tabasco,
Roswell, and Crashdown.com, a fan site for the show.
A later campaign, entitled "Roswell is Hot, Hunger is Not," would result in
more than $28,000 dollars being generated to support World Famine, a
favorite charity of actor Brendan Fehr (who stars on Roswell as the
angst-ridden alien Michael).
The entire cast of the show, along with writers and producers, attended a
charity event that auctioned Roswell wardrobe and props to more than 400
fans.
The second season of Roswell again found the show struggling to survive, and
another 6,000 bottles of sauce were sent to the WB. When it appeared that
the network would be turning a deaf ear to the fans, a new campaign began to
encourage the United Paramount Network to pick up the show.
The "Spice Up Your Line-up" campaign resulted in a 12,000-bottle mail-in to
the UPN, and the show was picked up by the network and paired with its
former WB neighbor, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A subsequent charity campaign
to thank UPN for picking up the show resulted in more than $16,000 worth of
donations from fans.
As the third season wound down and the ratings for Roswell dwindled, plans
were made for a third mass mail-in. Apparently, fans had never stopped
sending in Tabasco, as the New
<[url=http://nydailynews.com/2002-01-25/New_York_Now/Television/a-139239.asp>]nydailynews.com/2002-01-2...39239.asp>[/url]
York Daily News reported that 100 bottles had been sent for Season 3
(although this was during a period when no campaigns were active).
As final plans were being made for the next fan effort to save the show, a
serious situation came to the attention of the Campaign Crew at
Crashdown.com. Writer/producer Garrett Lerner's 9-month old son Zeke was
suffering from a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy known as Spinal Muscular
Atrophy.
Lerner and the Roswell production staff joined forces to auction a visit to
the set of Roswell to benefit Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a charity
that provides funds for SMA research. Plans for what may be the final
Roswell fan campaign quickly changed to include addressing this situation
affecting a member of the Roswell family.
The "Passion Through Compassion" campaign launched on the Crashdown website
on Friday, March 23. The idea was to send donations to FSMA to show the
compassion of the Roswell fans, and to demonstrate their passion to those
who would decide the show's fate. UPN (which now airs the show), along with
CBS (Viacom, the owner of both networks, recently placed the running of UPN
under the CBS umbrella) and Fox Television (which produces Roswell) were
targeted in the new campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of the
show while raising money for SMA.
A second phase of the campaign planned to ask for corporate help from
companies with ties to the show. McIlhenny Co. was to be an initial target,
as was Cadbury Schweppes, the maker of Snapple (both products are favorites
of the show's alien characters).
Before a single fan letter asking for help had time to reach the Tabasco
makers, McIlhenny Co., on its own initiative, was hard at work trying to
figure out a way for the company to support the fan-based effort.
By Tuesday morning, McIlhenny Co. had approached FSMA with the promise of a
sizable corporate donation (which was delivered to FSMA offices on March
28), as well as promotions to support the campaign. Not only will the
company be standing alongside Roswell fans in support of their latest
charity, but it will be encouraging further contributions. The company is
introducing a new product, "Tabasco brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce, " and has
offered to send a 5-oz. bottle of the new sauce to the next 1,000 fans (in
the US) who donate $5 or more to the cause. McIlhenny Co. will also be
mentioning the campaign on the company website ( tabasco.com
<[url=http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.tabasco.com/>]www.tabasco.com/>[/url] ) in the next few weeks.
The McIlhenny Company is truly a corporation with a soul. Rather than
worrying over the latest fan efforts (which again would make them the focus
of a campaign for a television show), they stepped up to the plate and
embraced the fans that have shown loyalty to their brand for the last three
years. It remains to be seen if their corporate peers will show the same
level of compassion and stand with their customers to eradicate this
horrible disease.
Tabasco and Roswell have a unique association that will be remembered in TV
history long after the show disappears. It is truly refreshing to find
compassion at the corporate level, and a company that is so supportive of
the passions and interests of a group of fans on the Internet. Well done,
McIlhenny Co.! As a corporation, you have gone above and beyond expectation
in your support of Roswell fans and the charities they support, and we will
show your company and products the same loyalty you have extended to us.
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destinyrebel
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Delirious
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God, I was just soo happy when I read this! It really is amazing that they would do something like this. Hehe. I feel kinda proud... Ya know, to be part of this whole thing. ;p
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destinyros2005
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I agree! I am so impressed that the Tabasco company has put their support behind this cause. It makes me feel proud to be part of it!  C.
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destinyrebel
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Delirious
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Exactly. It's really a wonderful thing...
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AbsoluteAngel58
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Delirious
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I totally agree, it's really wonderful that the Tabasco company is helping out.
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destinyros2005
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Now...if we could only get Snapple's help...
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destinyrebel
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Delirious
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destinyros2005
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If anyone is interested in writing to Snapple about helping out with the renewal campaign, here's the name and address and correspondence can be directed to:
Jack Belsito CEO
Snapple Beverage Group Inc.
709 Westchester Ave.
White Plains, NY 10604
Please let them know that we would like their help in campaigning for a fourth season of Roswell by showing our support of the Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
Any little bit helps guys!
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destinyrebel
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Delirious
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Very cool, destinyros. Thanks so much for posting that info...
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bunniefuu
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Quick question, do we have an email address to Snapple by chance?
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destinyrebel
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Delirious
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Ooo... That would be good. I should go look...
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destinyros2005
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Well, I did some searching on the Snapple web page www.snapple.com and all I could find was an e-mail address for the webmaster which is webmaster@snapple.com . I did also find a phone number for Snapple and that is 1-800-Snapple and they are open 9am to 4:30pm EST. I'm still looking for more info though!
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destinyrebel
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Delirious
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Hehe. Glad you found all that, cause I kinda didn't have time to look...
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destinyros2005
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Yeah, I don't know how helpful that is, but I thought I'd try to find something.
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destinyrebel
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Delirious
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destinyros2005
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Cool...do you want to see if you can get a better e-mail address? I don't think the one I found will do us any good, but like I said...I'm still looking!
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destinyrebel
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Delirious
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Sounds great...
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bunniefuu
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I wonder if we just email the webmaster at snapple he would give us the email to snapple, if it's not the right one, I bet he would know.  Right? Okay, reading that over a second time, that really doesn't make a lot of sense.. I've lost my mind again..la la la la 
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destinyrebel
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Delirious
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destinyros2005
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Scary thing is...I understand completely! And I just sent an email to the webmaster at the Snapple website, so hopefully they will reply soon. As soon as I hear anything...I'll let you all know!
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