Del Monte says ‘Yes’ to Fit Squad
Del Monte, the prepared fruit producers, has teamed up with The Sun as sponsors of the newspaper’s 2008 ‘Fit Squad’ campaign, which aims to get us all fit and healthy by eating and exercising properly.
The sponsorship package and all associated marketing activity has been put together by News International and London agency BMT (Branded Moments of Truth). Awareness and registration will be driven by a roadshow which is scheduled to visit many of the UK’s largest shopping malls in the next six months, and this will be supported by integrated activity online, in The Sun, and direct to the paper’s extensive database.
The Fit Squad, relaunched by The Sun each year, is an important and high-profile campaign that is endorsed by leading nutritionists. Jim Mullen, the Head of Digital Strategy of News International, says: “We take the health of the nation very seriously, especially as recent reports and research predict substantial health problems if people do not change their lifestyles. We really are faced with a ticking time-bomb, and we want to defuse it by helping to get the nation healthy again.”
Luffa Khnom, Head of Experiential at BMT, says there is a natural fit between the sponsors Del Monte and the Fit Squad. She says: “Del Monte is a leading global supplier of healthy and nutritious foods, but because canned food is the original convenience food many people believe that Del Monte’s prepared fruits are not as healthy and nutritious as fresh fruit. In fact prepared fruit is often higher in vitamin content than fresh fruit as it is canned within an hour of being picked, while ‘fresh’ fruit is often transported for days or weeks before being eaten, and can sit out on display for days. And all the while it is losing important nutrients.
“The reasons behind Del Monte’s sponsorship are clear – they want to be at the heart of the Fit Squad campaign because they want people to understand that Del Monte products aren’t just convenient and delicious, they’re also healthy and nutritious.“
David Wilkinson, Marketing Director of Del Monte agrees. “First and foremost, the Fit Squad is a noble and meaningful campaign, but it’s also the perfect sponsorship vehicle for us because it gives us the chance to point out the benefits of prepared and canned fruits to people who have decided to change their eating habits for the better.”
The campaign is being supported editorially by leaders in nutrition like Amanda Ursell, who says “We will be providing nutritional advice to our readers on how best to control their weight and gain more energy so they begin to feel better and better about themselves. Del Monte prepared fruits, which can easily be incorporated into a busy lifestyle, are a fine example of the nutritious food that’s so essential to wellbeing.
The campaign begins on January 1st and runs for six months.
