Marketing Gimmicks

Cook-offs As Publicity Stunts: Please Try Harder

Chris Santos
Chris Santos

We’re not sure what to make of this publicity stunt: A certain brand of knives has invited chefs Chris Santos of Stanton Social, Texan Tim Love of bygone Lonesome Dove, and San Francisco’s Melissa Perello to compete in a “Campfire Cooking Challenge” in Central Park. On Saturday, August 29, they’ll convene at Dead Road between the Bandshell, at 72nd Street, and Sheep Meadow, and each will make a meal using just camping stoves, a cutting board, and a certain type of cutlery. This would be awesome if they actually went Bear Grylls–style (as the press release’s subject line promises) and had to forage for ingredients in Central Park (can you imagine Tim Love scaring the bejesus out of picnickers by swigging tequila and shooting ducks? Yeeee-haw), but unfortunately they’re going to be working with a choice of preset proteins, which makes this event rather boring. To the knife company that wants publicity out of this, let Tim Love bust out the camo and the funny orange hat, or we’re not plugging you.

Cook-offs As Publicity Stunts: Please Try Harder