Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Jeff Mauro is the New Hot Pockets Spokesman

Photo - Businesswire
Nestle, who currently owns the Hot Pockets brand, is trying to make Hot Pockets seem classier, and plan to use Food Network's Jeff Mauro as their Spokesperson to do that.  They are going to start using better ingredients in certain types of Hot Pockets such as angus beef, hickory ham,'signature' pepperoni, and flavored crusts.

Jeff is going to be plugging Hot Pockets, and might possibly design his own Hot Pocket for the company.  The Hot Pockets website has Jeff's face all over it, as well as a video with him in it.

See the promotional video of Jeff Mauro pushing the newer Hot Pockets after the jump:






When I think of a sandwich, the first thing that usually comes to my mind is Hot Pockets....


Press Release Below:

HOT POCKETS® Brand Sandwiches Unveils Biggest Relaunch in Its 30-Year History
 
New HOT POCKETS® Brand Sandwiches Step Up Taste and Quality and Open Doors to Nestlé Kitchen with Food Network’s Jeff Mauro, Featuring New Recipes and Premium Ingredients: Satisfaction Guaranteed
 
SOLON, Ohio--()--Nestlé Prepared Foods Company today announced a major makeover of the beloved HOT POCKETS® brand sandwiches line, the biggest changes in the brand’s 30 years. Featuring “Better Taste, Better Quality.™” with new premium cuts of meat, new buttery seasoned crusts, and real cheese, the new and improved HOT POCKETS sandwiches are “Irresistibly Hot™” and now available at participating retail stores nationwide with a money-back guarantee. If consumers aren’t completely satisfied with the new and improved HOT POCKETS sandwiches, their purchase will be refunded. (For more information, go to hotpockets.com/HotterPockets).
HOT POCKETS is truly making over everything – from ingredients to flavor to look and aroma – and the new improvements are front and center in brand-new television/advertising efforts in addition to changes in packaging. HOT POCKETS also showcases the new and improved changes in all of its social media, including Facebook and Twitter, and on its official website, with even more exciting news in the pipeline.

The improved flavor varieties of HOT POCKETS sandwiches include premium meats such as 100% Angus Beef, Hickory Ham, Signature Pepperoni, and White Meat Chicken. New HOT POCKETS sandwiches are wrapped in delicious new crusts with baked-in flavor. The pizza varieties feature a new garlic buttery seasoned crust, and the deli sandwich varieties have a new crispy buttery seasoned crust. While much is new, Nestlé did not mess with success in remaking HOT POCKETS sandwiches: the new recipes still give consumers the convenient meal and snack they love with improved flavor and even better quality ingredients.

“HOT POCKETS is excited to grow with its fan base, and really, the dialogue with our fans has spurred these major changes,” said brand director Daniel Jhung. “Our fans, namely millennial consumers, have high food IQs and high expectations, and because they expect more, we gave it to them. In blind taste tests, three out of five consumers significantly preferred the new and improved HOT POCKETS Pepperoni Pizza sandwiches over our prior recipes. In fact, we are so confident fans will love the new and improved HOT POCKETS sandwiches that we are offering a money-back guarantee.”

The new HOT POCKETS brand sandwiches also have a new spokesperson—celebrity chef Jeff Mauro, host of the Food Network series “Sandwich King” and “$24 in 24.” Mauro previously was crowned the winner of “The Next Food Network Star” competition during its seventh season. Together with Chef Lucien Vendôme of the Nestlé Culinary Center in Solon, Ohio, Mauro opened the doors of the Nestlé Kitchen in Chatsworth, Calif. for the first time to show the public all of the quality care and ingredients that go into making HOT POCKETS sandwiches.

“As the ‘Sandwich King’, I know what elements go into making the perfect sandwich,” Mauro said. “I’ve always enjoyed HOT POCKETS sandwiches, but the new and improved varieties are incredibly good. Offering a sandwich trifecta – with new premium cuts of meat, new buttery seasoned crusts and real cheese, it’s the perfect combination of quality ingredients and delicious flavor. The new HOT POCKETS sandwiches taste great, and I look forward to reintroducing them to fans everywhere.”
Noted Chef Vendôme: “HOT POCKETS sandwiches are made in the same way as I would make a great tasting hot sandwich in my own kitchen, just on a larger scale. We don’t make frozen food here – we make great tasting hot sandwiches with quality ingredients, bake them fresh daily, then freeze them. And we promise you will love the new HOT POCKETS sandwiches – your satisfaction is guaranteed.”

More information about the making of the new and improved HOT POCKETS brand sandwiches from Jeff Mauro and Chef Vendôme, along with valuable coupons (while supplies last), may be found at hotpockets.com/HotterPockets.

About HOT POCKETS Brand Sandwiches
For 30 years, HOT POCKETS® and LEAN POCKETS® brand sandwiches have provided hungry consumers a delicious any-time meal or snack, making it the hottest frozen sandwich across America. Made with savory premium meats, new buttery seasoned crusts, and real cheese, HOT POCKETS pioneered a new category of frozen sandwiches and snacks, which were acquired by Nestlé in 2002. Available in grocers’ freezers, the Irresistibly Hot™ sandwiches have evolved into an iconic American brand that’s become a staple in American pop culture, and are perfectly portioned to be nutritious and delicious. Visit us at hotpockets.com and leanpockets.com.

About Nestlé USA 
Named one of “The World’s Most Admired Food Companies” in Fortune magazine for 16 consecutive years, Nestlé provides quality brands and products that bring flavor to life every day. From nutritious meals with LEAN CUISINE® to baking traditions with NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE®, Nestlé USA makes delicious, convenient, and nutritious food and beverage products that make good living possible. That’s what “Nestlé. Good Food, Good Life” is all about. Nestlé USA, with 2012 sales of $10 billion, is part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland — the world’s largest food company with a commitment to Nutrition, Health & Wellness — with 2012 sales of $98 billion. For product news and information, visit NestleUSA.com or Facebook.com/NestleUSA.

Contacts

GolinHarris
Jessica del Mundo, 213-623-4200
[email protected]

21 comments:

  1. It seems the male winner of FNS become the most successful...

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  2. I know Guy Fieri may have a huge ego, but he doesn't make up more than one person. Two of 6 people isn't a majority. And not sure about you, but I've seen Aarti in more things than the other 4 guys.

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  3. Besides Aarti Parti, what else?

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  4. In terms of endorsements, Aarti only has done ads for Patak's sauces and Melissa for Hidden Valley. In less than 2 yrs., Jeff's done stuff for Kenmore, Seattle's Best, plus he's spokesman for Cracker Barrel Cheese and now Hot Pockets so, you're right...after Guy F., he's been the most successful.

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  5. Good for him, I find it hard to be cynical about Mauro. Maybe he is just packaged well but the family man/goofball routine seems to be very genuine.

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  6. And what has Aaron McCargo done lately?

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  7. She appears regularly on two Cooking Channel programs—,i.Drop 5 lbs. With Good Housekeeping and Taste in Translation—and has contributed to The Best Thing I Ever Ate and The Best Thing I Ever Made. I think I've also seen her on Unique Eats.

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  8. We ate tons of Hot Pockets in college because they were cheap but they had no real taste, as I remember. Haven't eaten one in years and I'm not going to start now, but good for Jeff. Cash those checks. I agree with a previous comment; he's probably just packaged/sold really well, but I find him endearing.


    As far as success, "Sandwich King" was nominated for a Daytime Emmy last year, and his ratings are on par with "Guy's Big Bite" (usually at or around a million-plus people), which is really good for Food Network. I like Aarti, but neither she nor Melissa D'Arabian have quite hit those levels.

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  9. Good for him. When he was on FNS, Bob & Susie (aka The Network) talked about how the sandwich pov would work great for product tie-ins.

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  10. I agree, I'm happy for him.


    He deserves it.

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  11. I saw him on Bar Rescue on Spike once...that's all I know about McCargo.

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  12. They want to make Hot Pockets classier and then choose that jughead to shill for them? I never thought of an HP as being a "samwich".



    I guess that's what DVR's and FF buttons are for.

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  13. IMO, he's been the most likable of the NFNS winners and he has a personality sorta like Ray Romano which make shim appeal to men as "one of the guys" but also appeals to women because he seems like such a nice guy. That' why I think Hot Pockets chose him for their new spokesman.


    Traditionally, Hot Pockets were aimed towards high school and college aged men, If you notice in that video they are trying to broaden the appeal to include older men and women. It'll be interesting to see How successful this is.

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  14. He's one of the experts on Bar Rescue.

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  15. I have always liked Jeff, and I'm happy for his success. I find him sweet and endearing. Besides, during NFNS, he proved that while sandwiches are his specialty, he has a full culinary skill set.

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  16. I can't put my finger on it , but there's something about him I just can't stand! His voice is like nails scraping down a chalkboard to me.

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  17. I feel that way about most of the winners and finalists of FNS (until maybe this year) and I think it's because of Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, who I know are real network execs but their taste in TV personalities is certainly different than mine. Most of the people I like on the network (such as the current judging panel on FNS) weren't selected through any sort of audition process like this but were instead "found". I feel like the FNS process waters things down to the person that appeals to the lowest common denominator rather than finding someone with unique and interesting appeal. This season's a little better because I think Bobby, Alton and Giada are more genuine in their judging. (Though there's still a little too much emphasis on personal stories rather than food.)

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  18. All those shows but Unique Eats have been cancelled.

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  19. He makes personal appearances, shows up frequently on talk shows like Dr. Oz and The Chew plus, I remember him been spokesperson for Aunt Jemima Frozen Products.

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  20. Tuschman and Fogelson want "personalities" rather than people with knowledge and experience. FN in general is going that direction with this rash of personality and reality driven shows, and the network is becoming unwatchable because of them. The worst is "Mystery Diners". The reruns on Cooking Channel are more interesting these days.

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  21. I find this guy to be over exposed; I feel like FN and other places are shoving this guy down my throat just as much as they are with Guy Fieri.

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