Wonderful Pistachios' annual North America retail sales have surpassed the $1bn milestone, making it the first brand in The Wonderful Company portfolio to have reached this breakthrough.

With a robust and growing number of product offerings, the nut brand is poised for ongoing success with consumers continuing to look for healthy snacking options. 

The company said the success of Wonderful Pistachios can be attributed to a variety of specific factors, including the popularity of Wonderful Pistachios No Shells, which, according to IRI data, is currently America’s fastest-growing snack brand and also drives double-digit growth.

Additionally, Wonderful Pistachios No Shells Chili Roasted and Honey Roasted have brought mostly incremental sales, extending the brand’s overall market presence. Meanwhile, the classic in-shell Wonderful Pistachios continue to be a big volume driver for the brand with over 14% household penetration, according to IRI data, with 81% overall brand awareness for Wonderful Pistachios.

When Wonderful Pistachios launched in 2008, it disrupted the pistachio category by becoming the first major brand on the scene. Its path of disruption then continued into the snack nut category where it became one of the most loved snack brands, and now it’s taking on the wider snack category with the introduction of its new Wonderful Pistachios No Shells flavors and broader messaging on plant-based eating.

“The introduction of Wonderful Pistachios into the billion-dollar brand club is such an extraordinary moment in our company’s history and we’re proud of our team who made this possible,” said Adam Cooper, senior vice president of marketing, The Wonderful Company.

“We’re incredibly grateful to our Wonderful Pistachios family who have contributed to building this brand over the past 12 years and want to give thanks to the full Wonderful Pistachios family, including our growers; we’re more optimistic than ever about what’s in store for the future.”

To build on this moment, the brand’s multimillion-dollar marketing investments will continue to support the business, including its new “The Next Big Thing” campaign featuring Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and world-class weightlifter and Olympic athlete Kendrick Farris, who both follow plant-focused diets. The brand also brought back its successful “Almost Everyone Loves No Shells” campaign, which features the lovable protagonist, Sheldon the tortoise.

“Our talented team at Wonderful Agency has created compelling, humorous, and culturally relevant campaigns over the years to build mainstream brand awareness for Wonderful Pistachios, including our iconic ‘Get Crackin'’ campaign, which featured some of the most recognizable Hollywood talent, including Snoop Dogg, Khloé Kardashian, and even Miss Piggy, as well as Super Bowl commercials with Stephen Colbert and Psy, while subsequent campaigns featured Richard Sherman, John Cena, and now Tony Gonzalez,” said Michael Perdigao, president, Wonderful Agency.

“It’s with great excitement we’ll continue to promote the brand in its many years to come.”

With recent recognition across the industry, including Wonderful Pistachios No Shells flavors being named an IRI “Rising Star” while also receiving notoriety as an Amazon “Hot Release,” the brand has high expectations for even bigger things to come. In spring 2021, two new Wonderful Pistachios No Shells flavors will be introduced: BBQ and Sea Salt & Vinegar.