A Spanish Influencer and a Greengrocer Swap Roles to Celebrate Madrid’s Fruit Grower’s Day

Serviceplan Spain launched a campaign for The Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers of Val Venosta (Vip) during the week of the Patron Saint of Santa Dorotea in Spain on 'El Día del Frutero' (the day of Fruit). The initiative took the form of a mini reality show, with singer and influencer Natalia Rodríguez and greengrocer Felix Vázquez exchanging roles for a day. The campaign is designed to support Spanish small businesses and introduce local businesses to the digital world, whilst making the next generation aware of the importance of neighbourhood greengrocers.

With The Exchange, the Vip pays tribute to fruit and vegetable producers in Val Venosta with an exchange of roles between Natalia Rodríguez – the famous Spanish singer who starred in Operación Triunfo 1 – and Felix Vázquez, a greengrocer who has been in charge of one of the most famous greengrocers in Madrid for 50 years.

Emilio Valverde, executive creative director, Serviceplan Spain says of the campaign: “The striking thing about this idea is to mix two worlds so far apart. It's a lot of fun to see an influencer working as a greengrocer, but so is the opposite. The result is pure entertainment.”

For the last seven years, El Paraíso de las Manzanas has been promoting experiential actions to celebrate Fruit Growers' Day and give visibility to one of the most traditional professions, supporting and thanking Spanish fruit growers for their work. This year it wanted to bring the initiative to the most trusted stores, to give visibility to local commerce and bring it closer to the new generations, because it is increasingly becoming one of the most affected sectors for various reasons. Manzanas Val Venosta planned a role exchange for a day between greengrocer Felix Vázquez and singer/ influencer Natalia.

Frutas Vázquez (@frutasvazquezjr), the fruit shop chosen for the meeting between the singer and greengrocer, is one of the most emblematic and central of Madrid. Founded in 1943 the shop has been managed by three generations of the same family. 

Natalia Rodríguez (@nataliaoficial) has 217,000 followers and is known for taking part in the first edition of the RTVE program Operación Triunfo. Felix Vázquez represents the Spanish greengrocers by taking part in this initiative from Val Venosta, which once again reconfirms its commitment to the profession and local trade.

The main objective of the campaign, in addition to thanking all Spanish greengrocers for their work, has been to bring this profession closer to young people through the digital tools provided by social networks. To do this, the singer and influencer Natalia, characterised by her healthy and sporty lifestyle, has provided tips to boost the fruit sales sector, promoting the sale of fruit and vegetables that represents 33.3% of the volume of food in Spain. Natalia’s involvement in the campaign promotes the greengrocers trend of eating more healthily. In return, greengrocer Felix Vázquez taught Natalia how to do his job for a day, in one of the most exotic greengrocers in Madrid.

Due to the lack of generational replacement in the greengrocer profession, and lack of viability in recent years due to the rise of e-commerce and marketplaces, a lifelong profession is dying out. More than 50% of the fruit stores in the 46 markets in Madrid alone have closed, leaving less than half as many fruit shops in Spain as 30 years ago. According to DataComex, workers in the fruit and vegetable sector in Spain in 2021 will be around 38 million versus 42 million in 2015, decreasing exponentially every year.

2020 Sales figures reported by the Spanish Federation of Food and Beverage Industries were approximately €9.71 billion. This represented a decrease of more than 320 million with respect to the turnover recorded by the industry during 2019.

Another important cause affecting the sector is the usual diet of Spaniards. According to the 2021 Spanish National Survey of Dietary Intake (ENIDE), 56% of Spaniards do not eat fruit and vegetable on a daily basis.  The Val Venosta campaign encourages greengrocers to provide information and education on the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables, and uses social networks to spread the message. 

Natalia Rodríguez commented: "I was delighted to participate in the initiative of Val Venosta and support small businesses, who deal closely with customers and value their work. It would be nice if young people were interested in this type of local and neighbourhood business, for greengrocers are a business that should not be lost. Also, healthy living and good food has become a passion of mine that can be linked perfectly with social networks, and I encourage greengrocers to use their mobile phones to reach out to the digital audience, and not miss this opportunity to spread the word about their business and products."

Felix Vazquez added : "Although I rely on word of mouth as the first weapon of communication in my profession, we need to inform the consumer about us, as there is a lack of information from vendors. I see it necessary to be able to communicate what are the seasonal products, how they should be eaten, and what are their health benefits. This Val Venosta initiative is a great way of starting to do things differently in terms of our communication. We need facilities in the market sector, so that young people want to be encouraged to work in the greengrocers of the future."