Perfection Fresh and Sesame Street have joined forces in a campaign, including on-pack messaging, to highlight the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption, as back-to-school approaches. Not-for-profit A Better Choice! is also on board.
According to the ABS National Health Survey 2020-21, fewer than one in 10 children (8.5 per cent) meet the daily recommended intake of both fruits and vegetables, and 55 per cent of kids struggle to identify common vegetables. Adults are also falling short, with only 6.1 per cent meeting the recommended daily intake of both fruits and vegetables. Perfection Fresh says it aims to instil healthy habits early in life.
As the back-to-school season approaches, Perfection Fresh wants to inspire healthier lunch choices for both young and old, and so is collaborating with Sesame Street, to encourage lunchbox-ready fresh produce consumption.
The specially curated product range for this promotion features Sesame Street characters on packaging including Qukes Baby Cucumbers with Cookie Monster, Petite tomatoes with Elmo, Perfection Berries with Abby, and Little Gem bananas with Big Bird.
Luke Gibson, chief marketing & innovation officer at Perfection Fresh, emphasised the impact of character branding on children's food preferences. “Kids are more emotionally connected to food with familiar characters. Research has shown that kids are more likely to eat fresh fruit and vegetables when they see familiar friends on the packaging encouraging healthy habits.”
Kristie Emerson, marketing manager (vegetables), Perfection Fresh, told PKN the design for the packaging was completed in-house. “It was important for us to ensure the characters stood out on the packaging and that the design was able to capture each of their unique personalities,” she said. The packaging production used the formats from the company’s existing products, she added.
The promotion includes approximately 500 off-location displays strategically placed to capture shoppers' attention and encourage them to incorporate fresh produce into both school and work lunches.
Emerson said the off-location displays were produced by Think Display, while the artwork for these was completed in-house. “We were able to have a little more fun with this design with lots of real estate to play with. We again brought in the personality of the Sesame Street characters but also the vibrant colours of our brands so the units will really stand out in stores,” she explained.
To promote this range, Perfection has partnered with 'A better choice!’, a joint initiative by Fresh Markets Australia and the Central Markets Association of Australia. 'A better choice!’, is a consumer facing not-for-profit program which supports over 800 independent fruit and vegetable retailers across Australia, accounting for over 22 per cent of the country's annual fresh produce sales.
James Patrick, head of marketing & engagement at 'A better choice!’, said, “This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to encourage healthier choices within communities and local fruit and veg shops. We are proud to be part of this initiative that promotes fresh produce consumption in an innovative way.”
The promotion will run for five weeks from 15 January. The initiative will be further supported by a comprehensive advertising strategy, including geo-targeted digital videos, social media campaigns, as well as print advertising and trade engagement.
