Jul. 12, 2024, WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Wildfire, an award-winning marketing communications, advertising, and design agency with offices in Winston-Salem, NC, and Richmond, VA, announced that it has been chosen as the agency of record by Green Mountain Gringo®, the salsa and tortilla strip brand owned by Winston-Salem-based Garner Foods®. The rebranding officially began on June 21, 2024.
Wildfire was selected through a competitive search for agencies to evolve the Green Mountain Gringo® salsa and tortilla strips brand in the highly competitive snack foods market. Green Mountain Gringo® was established in Vermont 35 years ago, in 1989, and its success led the family-owned Garner Foods®, renowned for its Texas Pete® line of sauces, to incorporate it into their product lineup. Wildfire will lead the company’s comprehensive rebranding strategy and multi-channel creative efforts, including a detailed advertising and media plan utilizing traditional, digital, website, organic, social media, sales collateral, and more.
This news comes on the heels of the announcement that Ann Garner Riddle, CEO, the last of the third generation of the Garner family currently working in the company, will retire at the end of 2024. Riddle’s retirement will transition the leadership of the company entirely to the family’s fourth generation.
“We are very excited to work on this rebranding project for Green Mountain Gringo®, a standout in the Garner Foods® line of specialty foods,” says Brad Bennett, Wildfire Co-Founder and Chief Firestarter. “Garner Foods® is a local company that we at Wildfire are all very familiar with. The creative process, from developing a new mark and working through all channels of this branding and advertising project, motivates our entire team.”
“Partnering with Wildfire marks an exciting new chapter for our Green Mountain Gringo® brand. We believe their innovative approach and creative expertise will amplify our mission to deliver authentic, high-quality products to our loyal customers. Together, we are poised to elevate our brand presence and engage with our community in fresh, impactful ways,” says Katie Chaffin, Director of Marketing, Garner Foods®.