For us, it was our client Giant Food.
SDI helped to promote the role of the Nation’s Capital Grocer, Giant Food, in the long-standing Preakness tradition of crowning the winning horse with a floral “Black-Eyed Susan” blanket.
If you are familiar with horse racing in Maryland, you probably know that the black and yellow flowers match the state colors and the color theme for the Preakness. Did you know that for the past 18 years, the blankets for the Preakness and the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes were constructed by floral associates at Giant Food in Towson, MD?
It became pretty well known that because Maryland’s state flower, black-eyed Susan, does not bloom until June in Maryland, the blanket was instead made from daisies with centers painted black to recreate the appearance. Here’s an interesting twist – the flower was switched from the daisy to the Viking pom more than 15 years ago. A front-page article in the Baltimore Sun explains, with the help of Giant florists, that the flowers have, in fact, not been painted for over 15 years. Viking poms bear close resemblance to black-eyed Susan and sport a dark center naturally.