Birds Eye frozen vegetables, a brand owned in the United States by Parsippany, New Jersey-based Pinnacle Foods Inc., on March 11 announced that it will team up with Disney to work to increase the number of kids consuming the recommended amount of vegetables per day. This will be done by directly engaging and educating them on the importance of vegetables in a well-balanced diet.
Following the kick-off of Birds Eye’s “Step Up To The Plate” program, Birds Eye and Disney will introduce a multi-platform sponsorship that promotes the taste of vegetables and the benefits they provide. It is anticipated that the initiative will also include a Disney consumer products component that will showcase characters on Birds Eye packaging.
The collaboration between Disney and Birds Eye will be brought to life this summer through Disney’s top-ranked kid and tween targeted media platforms, helping to give vegetables an image makeover in the eyes of children. The “Step Up To The Plate” program aligns with Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living initiative and integrates Birds Eye into program sponsorships and “Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living TRYathlon Road Tour” scheduled for August and September 2014.
“Moms know veggies are healthy and that her family needs to eat more of them,” said Mark Schiller, president of Pinnacle Foods’ Birds Eye frozen division. “Our job is to help make it easy for her to do that.”
Rita Ferro, executive vice president at Disney Media Sales and Marketing, said, “Disney has a time-honored commitment to entertaining kids and families, and that commitment extends to supporting parents in raising healthy, happy kids. This new initiative with Birds Eye proves that doing the right thing for kids is also a smart strategy for our business.”
Disney-branded television channels reach more than 100 million households in the United States and millions more through Disney online family destinations.
Today, only 10% of American children are said to be eating the proper amount of vegetables, as detailed in the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines. And while recent reports show that the obesity rate in 2-5 year olds is declining, the number of elementary-age children who are overweight or obese remains unchanged at 17%.
“Step Up To The Plate” is a long-term Birds Eye campaign dedicated to closing the nutrition gap in America by motivating kids to eat more vegetables.
“Selling veggies is both our passion and our business,” Schiller elaborated. “We want to make an impact on the health of our future generation. As pioneers in this industry, we feel it’s our responsibility to do so.”
Families are encouraged to join the movement by following Birds Eye on Twitter @BirdsEye, where they can stay tuned in for news about the Disney stars who will be participating, exciting prizes and more. Parents can use #ILikeVeggies to share their ideas for getting kids to enjoy vegetables.
