Sesame Workshop / PMA
Kids love Elmo, and when his face adorns an apple it makes it that much sweeter.
It’s true. Research shows the number of kids who choose apples over cookies doubles when you slap an Elmo sticker on the apple. That’s why Sesame Workshop granted licensing of its characters to the Produce Marketing Association and its extensive network of growers, suppliers and grocery retailers – at no charge. Through its commitment to PHA, Sesame Workshop is making it even easier for families to make healthier choices, because kids who see Sesame characters on fruits and veggies in the grocery aisle are eager to eat them up.
The eat brighter! TM campaign harnesses the popularity of nine Sesame Street characters, including Elmo, Big Bird, Rosita and Abby Cadabby. And it’s working. Participating stores saw a 3 percent bump in fruit and vegetable sales once Sesame Street came out to play. To date, there are 57 suppliers with licensing agreements for the characters and 66 unique retailers carrying eat brighter! branded produce. It’s been so successful, in fact, that Sesame Workshop extended its commitment to 2018.
The eat brighter! campaign also buddied up with Sodexo, which serves lunch to students in 3,500 schools across the country, lending its characters to colorful posters and salad bar clings. If Elmo can get elementary school kids to ask mom to drop another apple in the shopping cart, imagine what he can do in the cafeteria line.
3% The eat brighter! campaign resulted in a three percent bump in produce sales for participating stores