MARIE CALLENDER'S #sharoniscaring
BACKGROUND –––––
On Thanksgiving 2021, an angry Sharon Weiss posted on Marie Callender’s Facebook page blaming the brand for ‘ruining Thanksgiving dessert,’ with an attached image of a scorched pumpkin pie. Facebook took this by storm and mocked Sharon for ‘throwing her pie into a volcano’ and shifting blame, turning the post into a meme that garnered hundreds of thousands of likes and reposts. Needless to say, Sharon was roasted by the internet.
ACTION –––––
Seeing an opportunity to play into the meme-ness of it all, we partnered up with Sharon to make a comeback video just in time for National Pie Day on January 23 with the hashtag #sharoniscaring. In preparation, I partnered up with the lead fabricator in creating a script and custom props: a comically large timer, an equally large custom Marie Callender’s instruction pie box, and an apron with the hashtag front and center. In post-production, we decided to mimic the style of old infomercials, echoing the likes of Ron Popeil and Cathy Mitchell.
CLIENT –––––
Conagra Brands
ROLE –––––
Art Direction | Graphic Design | Motion Design
YEAR –––––
2021 – 2022
MARIE CALLENDER'S #sharoniscaring
BACKGROUND –––––
On Thanksgiving 2021, an angry Sharon Weiss posted on Marie Callender’s Facebook page blaming the brand for ‘ruining Thanksgiving dessert,’ with an attached image of a scorched pumpkin pie. Facebook took this by storm and mocked Sharon for ‘throwing her pie into a volcano’ and shifting blame, turning the post into a meme that garnered hundreds of thousands of likes and reposts. Needless to say, Sharon was roasted by the internet.
ACTION –––––
Seeing an opportunity to play into the meme-ness of it all, we partnered up with Sharon to make a comeback video just in time for National Pie Day on January 23 with the hashtag #sharoniscaring. In preparation, I partnered up with the lead fabricator in creating a script and custom props: a comically large timer, an equally large custom Marie Callender’s instruction pie box, and an apron with the hashtag front and center. In post-production, we decided to mimic the style of old infomercials, echoing the likes of Ron Popeil and Cathy Mitchell.
CLIENT –––––
Conagra Brands
ROLE –––––
Art Direction | Graphic Design | Motion Design
YEAR –––––
2021 – 2022
© 2025 Alex Petrenko.
© 2023 Alex Petrenko.