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Library/Food & drink/Patti LaBelle sweet potato pies
Grade B22 sourcesHIS-00332

Patti LaBelle sweet potato pies

Food & drink · 2015 · Niche

39Editable slideCertificate

After a fan’s singing review, Walmart reported selling one pie per second.

Patti LaBelle

@MsPattiPatti · Nov 12, 2015

Man Eats Patti LaBelle Pie, Turns Into Patti LaBelle elle.com/culture/news/a… via @ELLEmagazine - I LOVE THIS!!!

47548
Post · @MsPattiPatti on X
Clip · Walmart on YouTube
Current Walmart packaging for Patti LaBelle’s sweet potato pie; this image is not the 2015 launch packaging.
Walmart
TK
NPR (KPBS syndication)
Viral review triggers run on Patti LaBelle pies at Walmart
Associated Press (ABC7 Chicago syndication)
We Tried Patti Labelle Pies And Lost Our Damn Minds
BuzzFeed / BuzzFeed Blue
Walmart's Patti LaBelle sweet potato pies still selling by the thousands after viral Thanksgiving video
Fox Business
Walmart Bakery Buyer Talks #PattiPie
Walmart on YouTube
Patti LaBelle's Sweet Potato Pie Is Causing Hysteria on Social Media [PHOTOS]
The Boombox
How One Man's Viral Review Turned This Sweet Potato Pie Into a National Phenomenon
Entrepreneur

Spread Score

How it works
Reach42Contagion60Breadth60Velocity7Longevity739

Numbers

Facebook seed + top 10 derivatives, seed-only floor (Nov. 23)
10M
As of Nov 23, 2015 · Facebook · The Philadelphia Inquirer
Peak date
Week of Nov 29, 2015
Nov 11 ’15 to Week of Nov 29, 2015
Platforms
7
Started on Facebook
Origin
Organic
Food & beverage

Mechanics

  • Unscripted proofPrimary
  • Response chain
  • Identity badge
  • Sell-out loop
  • Press loop

How it spread

Trace the origin

James Wright Chanel posted a singing pie review on Facebook. Shoppers sought the pies, stores sold out and fans made tasting videos and memes. Walmart restocked the pies for year-round sale and later reported continued daily sales.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Google searchesJul ’15SepNovDecMay ’16NovJul ’17Jul ’18Jul ’19Jul ’20PeakRetailFacebookXOpen webPressYouTubeTV
RetailFacebookXOpen webPressYouTubeTV

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. September 2015

    Walmart / Patti LaBelle precursor · Sep 2015

    Walmart introduced LaBelle’s sweet potato pie before the fan review that spread.[1][2]

    TK
    Open the first post ↗

  2. November 2015

    James Wright Chanel seed · Nov 11 ’15

    Wright posted a Facebook review, singing LaBelle songs as he tasted her sweet potato pie.[3][4]

  3. Patti LaBelle (@MsPattiPatti) owner response · Nov 12 ’15

    LaBelle shared coverage of Wright’s review on Twitter and wrote that she loved it.[5][6]

Changelogupdated Oct 12 ’26
  1. 2026-10-12Added: 16 events, 20 sources · Score 39
Origin
Organic
Sector
Food & beverage
Region
US
Facebook seed + top 10 derivatives, seed-only floor (Nov. 23)
10M
As of Nov 23, 2015 · Facebook · The Philadelphia Inquirer
Evidence
Grade B

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3.5K derivatives

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How the next thing spread, the week it does.

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Google searchesJul ’15SepNovDecMay ’16NovJul ’17Jul ’18Jul ’19Jul ’20PeakRetailFacebookXOpen webPressYouTubeTV
RetailFacebookXOpen webPressYouTubeTV

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. September 2015

    Walmart / Patti LaBelle precursor · Sep 2015

    Walmart introduced LaBelle’s sweet potato pie before the fan review that spread.[1][2]

    TK
    Open the first post ↗

  2. November 2015

    James Wright Chanel seed · Nov 11 ’15

    Wright posted a Facebook review, singing LaBelle songs as he tasted her sweet potato pie.[3][4]

  3. Patti LaBelle (@MsPattiPatti) owner response · Nov 12 ’15

    LaBelle shared coverage of Wright’s review on Twitter and wrote that she loved it.[5][6]

  1. commercial · Nov 14 ’15

  2. platform jump · Nov 15 ’15

Join free to see the other 13 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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