Tropical Drink's "Mischievous Monkey" Prize Was a Hoax, Ad Exec Reveals
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
An Israeli advertising executive has revealed that the "mischievous monkey" prize offered by the Tropit drink in 1988 was a marketing hoax. The campaign promised real animals, including a monkey, but the company never intended to give one away, opting for other prizes like flights instead. While children won goldfish, no one ever received a monkey, a fact that has now been confirmed decades later.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The "mischievous monkey" prize from a 1988 Tropit drink campaign was a marketing hoax, an executive revealed.
- The campaign promised real animals, including a monkey, but only goldfish were actually awarded.
- The advertising agency admitted the monkey prize was a "gimmick" to generate buzz for the brand.
- Winners eligible for the monkey prize were allowed to exchange it for other rewards like flights.
- The Tropit drink, known for its unique packaging, was popular in Israel in the late 1980s.
A decades-old mystery surrounding a "mischievous monkey" prize offered by the Israeli drink "Tropit" in 1988 has been solved, with the advertising executive behind the campaign revealing it was a deliberate hoax. The campaign, launched by Tavori company and its ad agency Reuveni-Fridan, promised children prizes including real animals like parrots, dogs, cats, goldfish, and the grand prize: a monkey. Children were encouraged to buy Tropit, drink it, cut out the packaging, and collect letters and illustrations to win.
While many children reported winning goldfish, no verifiable record exists of anyone actually receiving a monkey. Concerns were raised at the time about the ethics of offering live animals as prizes, with fears that homes might not be equipped to care for them. Tavori had defended the campaign, stating it was developed with educators and experts to encourage children's connection with animals over computer games, and that a small squirrel monkey was chosen to ease care.
However, Udi Fridan, co-owner of Reuveni-Fridan, confessed in an interview that the company never intended to give away a monkey or any other live animal, except for goldfish in a few instances. He explained that the "mischievous monkey" was a marketing "gimmick" to create buzz around the brand, as other campaigns at the time were offering trips. "We wanted a campaign that people would talk about," Fridan stated, adding that as anticipated, winners who were eligible for the monkey prize opted for other rewards like flights.
Fridan clarified that the campaign was named "The Mischievous Monkey" because Tropit itself was marketed as a playful drink. He acknowledged the criticism but maintained that the campaign was successful in making the brand stand out and that children enjoyed it. The original Tropit drink, known for its triple-layered aluminum packaging and a challenging straw-piercing mechanism, was launched in 1977 and discontinued in its original form in 2002.
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