Joseph Pedott, marketing 'legend' behind Chia Pet and the Clapper, dies at 91
The business tycoon leaves a legacy of innovation.
Joseph Pedott — the marketing guru behind the Chia Pet plant sensation and its memorable TV jingle "ch-ch-ch-Chia!" — died on June 22 at the age of 91. Pedott is also credited with making popular the light-switch gizmo The Clapper.
For years, Pedott ran Joseph Enterprises Inc., where he not only turned the Chia Pet into a household name, but The Clapper light switch as well — a design first sold in 1985 and made memorable by its catchy "Clap on, Clap Off" TV commercial.
Both products are archived in the Smithsonian, and the Chia Pet is also included in the New York Times time capsule, to be opened in the year 3000.