Social media sensation Grumpy Cat has snared an endorsement deal with Nestle Purina PetCare in the US to become the frowny face of its Friskies cat food brand.
The new "spokescat" has become famous on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for her chronic scowl and crabby messages. Grumpy Cat's Facebook page has more than 1.3 million fans and she has more than 111,000 Twitter followers.
St Louis-based Nestle Purina has already featured Grumpy Cat in an online video game series: “Will Kitty Play With It?” The new deal extends the relationship and will kick-off with a live appearance at the "The Friskies" which is an Oscars-style annual award show for cat videos and will be held this year on 15 October in New York. It will air live at www.thefriskies.com.
Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, is owned by Tabatha Bundesen from Texas in the US. The feline shot to internet stardom in September last year after her owner's brother posted her photo on the website Reddit. Soon after, a YouTube video featuring her scowling visage went viral and has now had 13 million views.
This isn't Grumpy Cat's first food industry endorsement. She's also forged a business deal with a coffee company named Grumpy Beverage.
Nestle Purina PetCare, which is a division of Swiss-based Nestle, is said to be working on other marketing opportunities.
In Australia, Nestle Purina PetCare has a large facility in Blayney in the central west of NSW. The plant, which recently underwent a $31 million upgrade, produces around 100,000 tonnes of product a year for both domestic and export markets and makes a number of petfood brands including Friskies, Supercoat, Beneful and Pro Plan.
