Monday Mashups: The Art of Hummus

Hummus and I have a love/hate relationship. Sometimes I really love it and sometimes it just does not seem appealing. But I digress because there is a large number of hummus supporters in this world, so much so that there is a day each year where this chickpea treat is recognized nationally. Yes, that's correct. There is an official National Hummus Day on May 13 of every year. Mark youe 2017 calendars! To celebrate this flavorful creamy creation this year, Sabra Dipping Company (a leader in the hummus market), partnered with Emilie Baltz, an experiential artist and designer, to present Traces: The Unofficial Meal--an interactive eating experience featuring, that's right you guessed it, hummus and art. We like to call this, the Art of Hummus!

The experience and design event, which took place at ArtBeam gallery and was part of New York's citywide NYCxDesign, an annual celebration of global design, had many hummus supporters in attendance. Designers, media, and the public were invited to participate in the “eatstallation", in which Ms. Baltz presented various ingredients—including hummus, pita, veggies, and condiments (all of our favorites)—in an artistic presentation on tables in a pop-up kitchen setting. Participants were then encouraged to use their hands to create abstract “paintings” with the ingredients and eat throughout the process. In this case, playing with your food is totally allowed and encouraged. Just think of it as edible art!

Eugenio Perrier, chief marketing officer at Sabra, said the brand partnered with Ms. Baltz because it was attracted to her installation idea of combining art with food. Making it a perfect event to share for a #MondayMashup! The activation, which was filmed in 360-degree video, also served as an extension of the brand's new Unofficial Meal campaign; getting people to eat more hummus! The purpose of the campaign is about bringing people together in a simple and compelling way around the table. Hummus is one of those few foods where people are eating with their own hands from the same bowl. Sabra feels like this needs to be done more often and as a way to cherish time well spent together. They believe that partnering with this installation Ms. Baltz was a perfect way to bring this experience and emotion they're trying to convey with their brand to life.

This is also the first time Sabra has activated in an artistic way. Hummus is a very flexible and versatile product. It's suitable to blend with different spices and flavors, and incorporating this art experience was a great way to have fun with the product. It really worked in their favor! In addition to the installation, Sabra also created social media buzz and gave out coupons and recipes to consumers for National Hummus Day. Delicious!

We hope to see Sabra continue to grow and utilize more of their creativity in the realm of art. Now join us as we devour the details of a container full of hummus!