Chia Pet
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Pp-semi-indef Template:Infobox brand Chia Pets are American styled terracotta figurines used to sprout chia, where the chia sprouts grow within a couple of weeks to resemble the animal's fur or hair.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Moistened chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) are applied to a grooved terracotta figurine.<ref name=":1" />
The Chia Pet was marketed and popularized by Joseph Pedott.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Pedott first learned about "something called the Chia Pet" being imported from Oaxaca, Mexico, when he attended a housewares show in Chicago in 1977. Negotiating the rights from importer Walter Houston, Pedott began marketing Chia Pets in the US.<ref name=":0" />
The first Chia Pet was created on September 8, 1977.<ref name="Chia Products">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="metrowestdailynews1">Template:Cite news</ref> A trademark registration was filed on Monday, October 17, 1977.<ref>CHIA PET – Reviews & Brand Information – Encap Products Company Mt. Prospect, IL – Serial Number: 73144986. Socialmedia.trademarkia.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-10.</ref> They were produced by Pedott's San Francisco-based company, Joseph Enterprises, Inc.,<ref name=":0" /> which was purchased by National Entertainment Collectibles Association in 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They achieved popularity in the 1980s following the 1982 release of a ram, the first widely distributed Chia Pet.<ref name="metrowestdailynews1" /> Originally made in Mexico, Chia Pets are now produced in China.<ref name=":0" />
The catchphrase sung in the TV commercial as the plant grows in time lapse is "Ch-ch-ch-chia!" This catchphrase originated at an agency brainstorming meeting, where one of the individuals present pretended to stutter the product name.<ref name=":0" /> As of 2019, approximately 15 million Chia Pets were sold annually with most sales during the holiday season.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> In 2000, a Chia Pet was included inside a New York Times time capsule to be opened in the year 3000.<ref name=":0" />
A range of generic animals has been produced, including a turtle, pig, puppy, kitten, frog, and hippopotamus. Cartoon characters have also been licensed, including Garfield, Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, Shrek, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob.<ref name="Chia Products" /> Additionally, there are Chia Pets depicting real people, including Barack Obama, Bob Ross, and Donald Trump.<ref name="Chia Products" />