Fruit vegetables get celebrity-studded marketing campaign

What if cauliflower got the same type of marketing firepower as candy bars and potato chips? A campaign being launched Thursday plans to put that premise to the test by enlisting celebrities including actress Jessica Alba and NBA star Stephen Curry to shill for fruits and vegetables.

The campaign was announced by the Partnership for a Healthier America, which works with private companies and was created in conjunction with first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to get families to eat better and exercise. The push is being called "FNV," which is intended to be a catchier way to refer to "fruits and vegetables."

"We were inspired by the big brands and, can we do what they're able to do?" said Lawrence Soler, CEO of the Partnership for a Healthier America.

To start, the campaign will primarily be on social media networks like Twitter, where short videos featuring Alba and NFL quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton will be posted. Additional videos will be released in coming days starring Curry, New York Giant Victor Cruz and others.

A teaser video for the broader campaign to be posted online Thursday features stars with fruits and vegetables set to music, with the words "PREPARE TO BE MARKETED TO" flashing on the screen. Around spring, a marketing push including TV and print ads is slated to hit two markets — Fresno, California, and Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Over time, Soler said the idea is to expand the campaign more broadly, although plans haven't been pinned down.

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Source: www.startribune.com