PHA Launches FNV Fruit and Vegetable Brand

The Partnership for a Healthier America's (PHA) launched FNV — a brand focused on increasing consumption and sales of fruits and vegetables among teens and moms – at its 2015 Building a Healthier Future Summit, a collaboration of companies, celebrities, athletes and foundations. Launched with a teaser video featuring a glimpse of the campaign's expected creative, the video included celebrities and athletes who support FNV, including actors Kristen Bell and Jessica Alba, WWE Superstar John Cena, musician Nick Jonas, New York Giants Wide Receiver Victor Cruz, Golden State Warriors Point Guard Stephen Curry, Memphis Grizzlies Forward Jeff Green, San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Carolina Panthers Quarterback Cam Newton. "FNV was inspired by big consumer brands, whose tactics are relentless, compelling, catchy and drive an emotional connection with their products," says Lawrence A. Soler, CEO of PHA. "We want to do the same thing for fruits and veggies, which have never had an opportunity to act like a big brand. Until now." The look of the campaign is as fresh, colorful, light and crisp as the fruits and veggies it is promoting, leaning on strong typographic design with fruit and vegetable accents to relay self-aware, tongue-in-cheek headlines. It was created by award-winning advertising agency Victors & Spoils. The campaign's first year will launch nationally and in two lead markets later this spring—Fresno, California and Hampton Roads, Va. In-market activations will include digital, print and out-of-home advertising; sponsorships of youth sports leagues and teams; local business and retail activations; and activations at local events. Additionally, a robust research plan will accompany FNV, measuring sales of fresh, frozen, canned and dried in the lead markets, consumption in both markets as well as nationally, and awareness, recall and resonance testing. Founding supporters of FNV are companies and other organizations that believe in the need to market fruits and vegetables in a whole new way. Supporters include: Avocados From Mexico; Bolthouse Farms, a division of the Campbell Soup Company; The Honest Company; Produce for Better Health; Produce Marketing Association; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; sweetgreen; Victors & Spoils; and WWE. “Initiatives like FNV and eat brighter! signal a turning point for our industry,” says Kevin Fiori, vice president of marketing for Sunkist Growers and PMA Board of Directors chairman. “The message of health just isn’t cutting it with families. They know fresh produce is healthy – they need a reason to listen and care. This kind of marketing effort is something that the PMA Board of Directors believes will resonate on a more radical level and ultimately make fresh produce more attractive. We’re excited to see it expressed in the pilot markets and the associated results.” The PMA Board approved a $1 million investment and the appointment of a marketing task force, comprised of produce industry executives, to support FNV on behalf of the fresh produce industry. Fiori says, “This is a natural fit for PMA. The association is strategically committed to providing members with marketing opportunities and resources to help grow produce businesses. We’ve witnessed that through eat brighter! and now FNV expands that opportunity once again.”