Today, I opened up a FedEx envelope labeled “Extremely Urgent” and out jumped a bag of chocolate-covered grasshoppers. Since I’m a pretty picky eater, I didn’t even waste time pondering whether I would eat one. Instead, I walked down the hall and asked everyone I passed if they’d like to try one.
One by one, I got turned down—until I entered Bill Hudgins’ office, who jumped at the chance. After we picked out a sufficiently chocolaty one for him, he popped it in his mouth, declared it tasty and started jumping towards me (like a grasshopper). John Lavey walked by and saw the commotion and I offered him one, too.
As John opened his grasshopper wrapper, he told the story of how he once ate six cicadas as a bet. The prospect of eating a grasshopper — especially one covered in chocolate — did not faze him, and he ate it as though he had just popped an after-dinner mint.
Counting only Bill and John among the brave but determined to find more, I went back to the art department to challenge Ben Stewart. A few minutes of peer pressure was all it took—he was digesting grasshopper in no time.
I have two left! Any takers?
Oh, and it’s a commendable marketing campaign. The second I opened that FedEx envelope, Grasshopper (a phone service company for small businesses) had my attention.