| Type | Seafoods |
|---|---|
| Current owner | MWBrands |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Markets | World |
| Previous owners | 1888 – naming rights purchased by Pelling
Stanley and Company 1964 – John West brand moved under Unilever corp 1997 – Heinz acquired the brand and John West Food company. 2006 – Heinz sold off the John West brands to the Lehman Brothers banking group |
| Website | www.john-west.co.uk |
John West Salmon is a brand of salmon owned by the Lehman Brothers banking group. They are perhaps best known for their successful "John West Bear Fight" marketing campaign. In November 2006 the BBC reported that the "Bear Fight" videos had been viewed over 300 million times, making it the sixth most viewed video[1] (tied with Trojan Games and behind number 5, the Exploding whale video).
Other advertising campaigns have focussed on the long-running brand motto It's the fish John West rejects that make John West the best.[2]
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The original company was founded by T. L. Pelling and C. H. Stanley, who created Pelling Stanley and Company in 1861. The company soon specialized in importing the then novel idea of canned food. By 1879, they were importing canned salmon from the John West company in Oregon, USA, the rights to use whose name they purchased in 1888; and the first shipments of John West Salmon appeared in 1892.[3][4]
By 1924 the three companies, operating separately, were all associated with Unilever:
By 1964, Unilever had merged the three into one company, John West Foods. Branches were expanded to Australia (now http://www.johnwest.com.au/) and Africa in 1974. In 1997, Heinz acquired the brand and John West Food company.[5] In March 2006, Heinz sold off the John West brands for EUR 425 million (£295m) to the Lehman Brothers banking group.[6] In 2006, H. J. Heinz sold its European Seafood Business to the French group MWBrands[7].
To increase their UK market share, in November 2000 John West canned salmon started a marketing campaign revolving around a viral video in which what appears to be a bear fights a fisherman for a fresh salmon. The video soon became a huge Internet meme, and by 2006 it was reported to be viewed over 300 million times, making it the sixth most viewed video online.[1]
The video was filmed on Invercauld Estate, near Balmoral, on the river Dee in the Scottish Highlands. Directed by Danny Kleinman created by Paul Silburn and voiced by Tony Clarkin (actor), the video campaign won a number of awards, including[8]:
There is also a commercial for John West tuna featuring a man going inside a Mako Shark's jaws to pull out a tuna. The shark was captured and the man escaped with the tuna.
In August 2008 John West were assessed by conservation group Greenpeace as selling the least sustainable tinned tuna in the UK. Despite claiming that they ‘only purchase fish which is caught with no harm to the marine environment’, John West were criticised for indiscriminate use of destructive fishing methods leading to the decimation of turtle and shark populations. Greenpeace also noted that John West fail to show sufficient care in selecting healthier fish stocks.
   | HEINZ EXPANDS CANNED SEAFOOD BUSINESS WITH ACQUISITION OF JOHN WEST FOODS - HEINZ EXPANDS CANNED SEAFOOD BUSINESS WITH ACQUISITION OF JOHN WEST FOODS |
| | Star Wars Kid is top viral video - BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Star Wars Kid is top viral video |
| | Famous Picture Magazine - John West Salmon Bear Fight - John West Salmon Bear Fight - FamousPicturesMagazine |
| | Man vs Bear Google Video - John West Salmon |
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