*When YouTuber James Wright Chanel posted a musical review of Patti LaBelle’s sweet potato pie, Patti and co. were caught off guard when his colorful praise of her sweet treat had the world rushing to their nearest Wal-Mart to stock up on her pies.
As EUR previously reported, the R&B diva called Chanel to personally thank him for his endorsement, and Wal-Mart reps from various stores have acknowledged that they can’t keep up with the demand – all thanks to an aspiring singer who told the world that you’ll turn into Patti once you indulge in her savory pie.
Singer and cookbook author Patti LaBelle teamed with Wal-Mart to make a sweet potato pie, which hit the shelves in September and retailed for $3.48. Initial sales of the pie were dismal, but after James’ review – you damn near have to outbid everyone on Ebay for a pie, as they have nearly sold out at many stores across the nation.
John Forrest Ales, Wal-Mart’s director of corporate communications tells ELLE.com: “We were selling one pie every second for 72 hours over the weekend,” he said. “We’re moving as fast as we can to order more, we’ve been in touch with the supplier to make sure that we can get as many back into stores as possible.”
A salesperson at Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, N.Y. confirms that it is one of several stores in the region that is sold out of pies. “Since Saturday,” a salesperson said. “The warehouse is also sold out. You can thank Mr. James for that.”
Ahh, the power of social media… continues to astonish!
Chanel’s video has now been viewed over 2 million times, making him an Internet sensation and Hollywood is taking notice. Wal-Mart is being coy on details about whether or not the chain might consider using the viral video star in a commercial, saying only, “We definitely are thanking him … We love customers’ feedback. And such entertaining feedback is always fun.”
There’s also talk that James may get an opportunity to sing a duet with his idol, Patti. A holiday duet, perhaps? Stay tuned, as we don’t think this is the last you’ll be hearing from James Wright Chanel.
Meanwhile, if your local Wal-Mart is fresh out of Patti Pies, your alternative is Craigslist, where folks are selling the pies starting at $10, and Patti Pies on Ebay are going for up to $40.00.
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