What is a Chinese Gooseberry?

Val Fun Fact #214:

You might be asking yourself ... What is a Chinese Gooseberry? We could play 20 Questions, but I'll save you all the trouble. A Chinese Gooseberry might be more commonly known to you as a kiwi! Mind blown right?!

We talked in class today about the "Power" that brands have in creating demand for, and making a product more marketable. As I go on to explain the history, keep this in mind.

Kiwifruit is native to the northern region of China. It was at the start of the early 20th Century that the started the spread of the fruit. Seeds were introduced to New Zealand. In 1973 Jim MacLoughlin, and orchardist, planed the first commercial Kiwifruit. It was a big hit with the American soldiers stationed in New Zealand during World War II, so MacLoughlin capitalized on that opportunity. After the war it was marketed under the name "Chinese gooseberry," however importers in California rejected the name because of high duties that were associated with 'berries'. So in 1959 the fruit was re-branded as "kiwifruit" after New Zealand's national symbol the kiwi bird, since they share very similar features; small, brown, and furry.

Kiwi Bird

If nothing else, you can check 'learn something new' off your to-do list today! I was fascinated by the ability of re-branding to create such a demand for a product. This also re-assures me that there is job security in the advertising industry! 

-I can't take full credit for the origin of this idea, because it was my professor who presented it to our class, however I found it intriguing and worth sharing!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwifruit 

http://rmagibess.wordpress.com/new-zealands-endangered-kiwi-bird/