Watermelon’s in season and “IN” this season
Fashion, celebrities and the first fruit of Facebook

Mississauga, ON - June 2009 -- Sneakers, celebs and social media are all going green, as in the marbled green rind of watermelon. Not only is watermelon a nutrient-dense, sweet flavoured family favourite but for 2009 it has become the inspiration for fashion, an accessory for celebrities and the most popular raw commodity on social media giant Facebook. 

While most watermelon will be found in the supermarket, top international brands Levi’s, Vans and Adidas have dug up a fresh and unique crop of watermelon inspired products for use in their Spring/Summer lines.  Footwear giants Vans and Adidas have both launched watermelon inspired summer shoe collections; Adidas’ comes complete with rind-inspired print and a watermelon logo on the tongue. International clothiers Levi’s, CLOT and Medicom have partnered to launch a line of 505 jeans that use the green striped pattern of watermelon rind as lining for the jeans.

Watermelon’s not just for garnishing dishes anymore, but celebs as well. A simple online search will reveal Paparazzi photos of Courtney Cox, Ryan Phillippe and Heidi Montag-Pratt enjoying low fat, cholesterol-free watermelon and gossip sites are reporting Nicole Ritchie is craving watermelon during her second pregnancy. Pop princess Katy Perry has been photographed in a watermelon themed outfit for her appearance on the Today Show and will be wearing two Swarovski crystal-encrusted watermelon necklaces during her upcoming national tour.  Her love of the superfruit was quoted in the LA Times, “I have a watermelon purse that I carry a lot, I've been shot by the paparazzi before wearing it …and the headline was like, "Watermelon Girl!" I love all kinds of things like that.”

Emmy-award winning L.A. based television and radio journalist Ann Shatilla covers the glamour and business of Hollywood trends and pop culture and is host and producer of “Hollywood Trend Report” (hollywoodtrendreport.com). Her insiders guide to the luxury Hollywood life has her covering everything from dining and style to travel and tech.

 “Watermelons are so hip right now in Hollywood pop culture and on the dining and nightlife scene,” says Shatilla. “Walk into the top club or restaurant from West Hollywood to Beverly Hills and it’s ‘move over apple and lychee martinis’ it’s now the ‘watermelon’ martini. Move over arugula, it’s now all about the watermelon salad. Watermelons are being used by top chefs throughout Tinseltown. Every year or two there’s a big flavour that sets the trends and now - from the colours of Smart phones to fine dining, the watermelon has really made an impact on the social scene.”
 
Watermelon also has the largest following of any raw commodity on Facebook with more than 533,000 fans declaring their love for this naturally sweet snack. Cherries come in a not so close second with 318,000 fans at the time of print.  Even micro-bloggers on Twitter take time to tweet about watermelon an average of 25 times per day¹ sharing watermelon health facts (it’s abundant with citrulline which plays a key role in cell division and wound healing), new recipes and their favourite watermelon fashions.

This season’s food trends have really focused on the watermelon as evidenced through such recipes as the sweet tasting, antioxidant loaded, Watermelon Green Tea Punch; the rich yet fresh tasting Blue Cheese Watermelon Walnut Salad, and the top topping today Watermelon Cranberry, Coconut and Fig Chutney. Shatilla adds “When it comes to hip, the watermelon was due to get it’s time in the spotlight. It is ‘in’ to have something or eat something watermelon-y right now!”

Although most say that popularity is fleeting, watermelon will continue to enjoy its position as literally the biggest thing in the produce section for years to come. For a host of recipes, carving instructions and great health information about watermelon please visit www.watermelon.org

About the National Watermelon Promotion Board
The National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) is based in Orlando, Florida and represents 1,500 growers, shippers and importers. Through research, communications and marketing initiatives, the NWPB is finding new ways to enhance market opportunities for farmers and promote the nutritional, culinary and convenience benefits of watermelon. For further information on watermelon and NWPB, please visit www.watermelon.org

About Hollywood Trend Report
Hollywood Trend Report (HTR) is a half hour radio show and website direct from Los Angeles hosted and produced by LA based Emmy-award winning journalist Ann Shatilla, covering the latest  cutting-edge celebrity trends making news today. HTR covers the buzz when it comes to dining, travel, hotels, fashion, beauty, spa, fitness, Hollywood nightlife, architecture, state-of-the-art gadgets, cars, art, design, social media, hot new websites, television and movies. Find out about the latest trends the moment they hit the marketplace at http://www.hollywoodtrendreport.com and on air. (Check website for cities and listings).  

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For further information, please contact:

Andrea Karpala or Debbie Boyce
Faye Clack Communications Inc.
905-206-0577 ext. 233 / 245
akarpala@fayeclack.com / dboyce@fayeclack.com

1 As reported in the daily keyword digest provided by www.twilert.com.  The keyword watermelon has been monitored daily since 4/27/2009.