With the New Zealand JAZZ™ apple season now in full swing, the always refreshing apple’s new brand platform got a lift at the Tour de Fresh cycling event—on the backs of two Oppy riders.
Organics Category Manager Chris Ford and Marketing Communications Manager Karin Gardner, clad in JAZZ™ apple cycling kit, pedalled nearly 200 miles apiece alongside industry friends to boost the brand, climbing over 14,000 feet of hilly terrain along California’s Central Coast.
“We took the idea of elevating brand awareness literally,” Ford joked.
While their main focus aligned with the purpose of Tour de Fresh—creating access to more fresh fruits and vegetables by raising funds for school salad bars—Ford and Gardner, along with representatives from JAZZ™ brand-owner T&G Global, drew attention to the refreshed JAZZ™ apple look through branded gear, local media coverage and social media outreach. Tour de Fresh riders were encouraged to capture the great moments of the event by entering the JAZZ™ Summer Vacation Sensation Instagram contest, where they will be eligible to win a $3,000 grand prize.
As a premier sponsor of Tour de Fresh, JAZZ™ apples refreshed riders at nutrition stops and meals throughout the three-day course.
Tour de Fresh finish line. Karin Gardner and Chris Ford are centered by Brock Nemecek and Chris Willett of T&G to the left and right respectively.
“The cool, juicy apples turned out to be the perfect mid-ride snack during the warm days of the tour,” Gardner said. “Word got out that eating JAZZ™ apples for breakfast made you stronger on the climbs, which actually seemed to work for some! Kidding aside, the ride was an amazing experience, uniting people from all facets of the industry in an important cause. The physical challenges we experienced on the hills and in the heat were totally worth it, considering the higher purpose of the event.”
Built around the powerful positioning of “The JAZZ™ Sensation,” the new brand conveys the always refreshing eating experience delivered by the tangy-sweet, intensely crunchy apple. Complete with a fresh new logo, and supported by a full suite of nimble visual components, the refreshed brand, which made its North American debut in May, is already standing out with contemporary colors, eye-catching graphics and a compelling brand message.
“Our customers like the refreshed brand,” said David Nelley, vice president, categories, for Oppy. “The fresh-crop New Zealand fruit offers exceptional pressures in the summer, flavor is excellent, and the bright new graphics are creating attention and interest at the store level.”
JAZZ™ apples and cycling have a decade-long history in North America. When the brand was first launched in the U.S., JAZZ™ sponsored a semi-pro women’s cycling squad, made up of promising young New Zealand and North American athletes. Between training hard and earning recognition for the brand on race podiums, the JAZZ™ Apple Cycling Team sampled the fruit at key retail outlets.
Over the years, Oppy has donated several salad bars to schools. If you would like to help Ford and Gardner to do the same, you can still make a donation on their fundraising pages here and here.
Follow JAZZ™ apples on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to learn how you can win a limited-edition JAZZ™-branded cycling jersey.
