Celebrity Watching in the Produce Aisle

I just saw ads that have Jessica Alba peddling apples, Cam Newton passing carrots, and Stephen Curry dribbling pineapples.  Am I seeing things?  

Nope.  Although, I just blogged about recent research uncovering that many celebrity-endorsed unhealthy food and beverage products are being pitched to adolescents, the tide may be changing.  Enter the Fruit and Vegetable (FNV) campaign, the brainchild of the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA).  PHA is a nonprofit organization working with public, private, and nonprofit leaders to develop strategies to end childhood obesity.

Knowing that celebrity marketing works, the PHA has recruited super influential actors and athletes, all pro bono, to get you to chow down more produce.  Here�s just one of ads that you may start seeing on television and social media:

Of the $1.6 billion spent annually on advertising food and beverages to youth, less than 1% of it is spent on promoting fruits and veggies according to the Federal Trade Commission.   �FNV was inspired by big consumer brands that understand the power of marketing,� said PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler. �We wanted to do the same thing for fruits and veggies � and it�s working.  New research shows that seven out of 10 people nationally who were aware of FNV said they purchased and ate more fruits and vegetables after seeing or hearing about the campaign.� 

Many companies such as Uncle Ben�s, Ocean Spray Craisins, Hidden Valley, Dick�s Sporting Goods, and the North Face have all signed on to partner and support the FNV campaign. Over 80 celebrities have signed on to the FNV campaign to tout the benefits of produce and to make fruits and veggies sexy, especially on social media.  To date, these celebrity influencers have generated more than 1 billion total media impressions with tweets such as:    

You don�t need to be famous to join FVN campaign. Click hereto become part of the team.  You can also follow them on Instagram: @teamFNV  and Twitter: @teamFNV.  

Hoping to meet George Clooney when picking out my cantaloupe. 

Be well, Joan

Twitter:  @JoanSalgeBlake