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Welch’s Fruit Snacks is sizing up for Valentine’s Day with a Custom Heart Shaped Box, on which consumers can personalise a note to their love.
Welch’s Fruit Snacks are made with real fruit and come in four varieties – Fruit Snacks, Juicefuls Juicy Fruit Snacks, Fruit ‘n Yogurt and Fruit Rolls – in 10 zingy flavours, ranging from watermelon, cantaloupe, mango-peach, plum and more.
They’re gluten-free, fat-free, packed with vitamins A, C & E and contain no preservatives. They also come in a range of packaging options to fulfil craving needs whether at home, at work or on-the-go.
Welch’s Valentine’s boxes are available from Amazon for an RRP of $13.95 and contain three pouches of 2.25oz Mixed Fruit Snacks.
Parle Product’s latest ad campaign for its best-selling chocolate chip cookie brand highlights the feelings of teenage romance and the awkwardness that often comes with it.
The Indian producer’s Hide & Seek cookie brand has been synonymous with ‘innocent love’ through its consistent brand communication over the past 25 years.
The new campaign is tailored to connect with teenagers and young adults (15-25 year olds), who are conscious about striking a conversation with someone they like as they lack the courage to make the first move or even ask someone out for the first time. Conceptualised by Brand League Partners, it showcases three scenarios – at a fashion show, on a ferry and in a flower shop – where Parle Hide & Seek comes to the fore as their wingman.
“We at Parle Products realise how important it is for a brand to be a part of a customer’s journey,” said Mayank Shah, senior category head at Parle Products.
“There are certain moments that we all face while growing up as teenagers and we understand the significance of these changes and decisions we make at that time.
“All of us have come across that time in adolescent years when the fear of rejection keeps us away from initiating conversation with that special someone. Our premium brand Hide & Seek resonates with young and innocent love while acting as an enabler to ignite a spark in situations wherein people feel hesitant to express themselves freely or directly. Our brand plays the role of breaking the ice so the first-time conversations between two young people are comfortable and relaxed. Since the campaign is targeted towards teenagers, it's not about intense love but about innocent attraction & young playful chemistry.
“The campaign is light-hearted and at the same time builds our brand so that we achieve top-of-mind recall among consumers and continue our brand narrative. With this TV and digital campaign, we aim to strengthen our position in the chocolate cookies category.”
Parle Products is releasing the TVCs in seven languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Oriya, Assamese and Tamil.
Freschetta Pizza has come up with an ingenious way to pass the time while waiting for the oven to preheat to that perfect pizza-baking temperature.
The CJCJ Food, Americas brand is hosting the inaugural Freschetta Preheat Film Festival, which feature snackable short films.
The short films, in total, run as long as it takes to preheat the oven for cheesy, bite-sized entertainment and premier TikTok creators Zac Stracener, Sierra Holloway, Haiyoe, Daphne, Maris Jones, Fiori Carmen, David Ma and Madelaine Turner.
The partnership between Freschetta Pizza and these eight TikTok creators delivers big Hollywood storytelling across a range of genre, including action, animation, horror and more. Taking it a step further, creators will receive awards – such as ‘Best Fully Baked Pizza Plot’ – once all the films have premiered. The audience is also invited to take part, with critics getting a shot at winning free Freschetta Pizza for a year.
The festival can be found on the creators’ TikTok accounts, along with the brands Instagram and IGTV Feed.
Lay’s road to the Super Bowl began with the launch of Lay’s Golden Grounds, a first-of-its-kind lineup of NFL-inspired chips.
This was followed by the announcement that Megan Thee Stallion and Charlie Puth are making an appearance in the first-ever Flamin’ Hot Super Bowl spot. The campaign is designed to help fans gear up for The Big Game, encouraging them to stock up with Cheetos and Doritos, as well as Frito-Lay and PepsiCo beverages.
Then earlier this year, Frito-Lay introduced a new addition to the Flamin’ Hot Family – Doritos Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch – and announced that Lay’s has partnered with Seth Rogen for the brand’s big return to the Super Bowl with a TV commercial for the first time in 17 years.
The latest news from the snacking giant is that actor, screenwriter and producer Paul Rudd is getting in on the fun, too.
In the first teaser, US fans were introduced to a stalker who had created a creepy shrine to Rogan that included images, newspaper clippings and candles. Fans were left wondering what was going to happen to the Canadian actor, comedian and filmmaker.
Now, Lay’s has reunited Rogan and Rudd on the small screen for the Big Game – known for their on-screen chemistry and real-life friendship.
The second teaser gives a glimpse into the hilarities that would take place on a road trip with the duo, discussing how to create teaser in the best way they know how – through comedy.
London-based nutrition startup PACK’D has added a new ‘and improved’ Vitality Smoothie to its superfood lineup.
Each kit comes with a perfectly portioned mix of prepared fruit and veg and, unlike other ready-to-blend smoothie kits, is accompanied by its own unique Superfood sachet, carefully designed by nutritionists to supercharge every recipe and deliver its own unique benefit.
The Vitality Smoothie Kit comprises a blend of frozen fruits, which include 1½ of your 5-a-day and are a good source of fibre for positive gut health. Its sachet is also packed with selected vitamins and minerals to boost the immune system.
It’s ready to blend, contains no added sugar and is a zero waste option.
The Vitality Smoothie is rolling out in Ocado for an RRP of £1.85 per kit.
Supplant has boosted its partnership with Michelin starred Chef Thomas Keller to debut shortbread cookies containing Supplant sugars from fibre as a full-time offering at Bouchon Bakery in Las Vegas as well as Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, Napa Valley.
Additionally, Supplant’s first direct to consumer offering – Supplant Chocolate Bars, also created in collaboration with Chef Keller – has undergone a bold rebranding and reformulation to exclude all cane sugar. These are now available for the first time to retail, following a roll-out in all Bouchon Bakery locations.
Supplant uses the fibre-rich parts of crops that often don’t make their way into food (like stalks, cobs and husks) to create a more sustainable sugar, which cooks, bakes and caramelises just like traditional sugar. It’s also more nutritious, maintaining the nutritional benefits of the fibres.
For professionals, Supplant Chocolate Chips is another new addition, available for direct wholesale purchase. Expect more Supplant-crafted inclusions to roll-out in the coming months.
The Limited Edition Supplant Milk & Dark Chocolate Taster Pack includes 2 x 2.1oz chocolate bars – milk and 70% – available online for an RRP of $19.99. Both recipes were developed by Chef Keller, made in Napa Valley in small-batch runs using sugars from fibre and Venezuelan cocoa beans.
Good news, SA plum growers have reported excellent crop quality this season, which makes the job of the Hortgro, the governing body of the SA deciduous fruit industry, an easy one.
Hortgro is hoping to encourage UK consumers to increase their consumption of plums – a healthy, nutritious, fibrous and convenient snack-on-the-go – and has planned a range of promotional activity with retailers, including promotional plum shrouds in Morrisons, booklets in Sainsbury’s plum packs, a recipe banner on the Waitrose site and a promotion on Supersweet plums in Tesco.
With the plum season now in full swing, Hortgro predicts a 4% rise in exports to 15.8m cartons.
And suppliers say consumers can look forward to a top-class eating experience.
“The industry was concerned about sun damage to the fruit after experiencing temperatures around 40 degrees, but despite that fruit quality and taste is excellent this season,” said Jacques du Preez, Hortgro GM of Trade and Markets.
A large variety of plums – including red, purple and yellow – are grown extensively in SA’s Western and Eastern Cape, offering consumers a wide selection of flavours, textures and colours. The fruit, which are high in fibre and a source of vitamins A, C, and E as well as potassium and carotene, will be available in UK retailers from January to May. The plum varieties to look out for include Fortune, African Delight, Sapphire, Ruby Sun and Flavor King.
This year, Kite Hill is aiming to help people achieve their goals by teaming up with Peleton instructor Emma Lovewell to spread the message to eat better, feel better and live better.
Sticking to new goals can be tough but can be easier with a good support system. According to a survey under the Yale Program on Climate Change, 50% of respondents said they would be willing to eat more plant-based foods if those around them did so, too.
As such, Kite Hill’s campaign includes the opportunity for consumers to showcase how they motivate others in discovering their own ‘Gateway to Good’ – and win a year’s supply of Kite Hill yoghurt, along with a box of Lovell’s wellness journey must-haves. Until 25 February, fans are encouraged to create an in-feed Instagram video, photo or an Instagram Reel using #GatewayToGood and tagging the producer.
“Many people set out with new goals each year – like eating more plant-based foods,” said Lovell.
“But they may be worried that they'll have to sacrifice the eating experience that they've come to love with traditional dairy products. I’m thrilled to team up with Kite Hill to encourage others to make small lifestyle changes that will help them open their 'Gateway to Good' – good eating, good flavour and good vibes.”
Added Shannon Toyos, chief marketing officer of Kite Hill, “Our mission at Kite Hill is to help as many people as possible discover just how delicious plant-based eating can be, and to highlight the positive impact that a plant-based lifestyle can have on your mind and body and our planet,” said Shannon Toyos, chief marketing officer, Kite Hill.
“Kicking off this partnership with Emma Lovewell is an overt symbol of our commitment to this mission, helping one person at a time discover all of the good that can come as a result of incorporating plant-based products into your lives.”
Kite Hill’s Almond Milk Yogurts and Protein Yogurts are available at retailers like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger and Publix across the US. Lovell has also curated two plant-based recipes in collaboration with Kite Hill – Blueberry Overnight Oats and a Savoury Grain Bowl with Yogurt Dill Sauce – available on its website for fans to enjoy with their crew on their plant-based journey.
pladis is bringing back its popular noughties biscuit brand after a four-year hiatus.
Available in two pack sizes, McVitie’s BN comprises two golden-baked biscuits sandwiched together with a filling. The biscuits are targeted towards the calorie conscious, with Mini BNs containing just 35 kcal per biscuit, and full-sized BNs coming in at 85kcal.
The full-sized biscuits (in tower packs of 16) are available in Chocolate and Vanilla variants, while McVitie’s Mini BN (5 grab-and-go packs of 5 mini biscuits) are rolling out in Chocolate or Strawberry.
“We know that BN biscuits have a place in many British shoppers’ hearts, thanks to their recognisable grin, great taste and a very memorable jingle,” said David Titman, marketing director – McVitie’s, at pladis UK&I.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing them back to supermarket shelves under our iconic McVitie’s brand – the nation’s biggest biscuit brand – to join our collection of biscuit tin favourites, from McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives to McVitie’s Hobnobs, and help retailers benefit from the sales opportunity BN presents.
“We see McVitie’s BN bringing moments of joyful fun to families and households up and down the country, whether during sharing moments in front of a film, or out and about on family adventures.”
Titman added, “Like so many of our McVitie’s favourites, the great thing about McVitie’s BN is that the products can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, offering consumers a tasty treat that doesn’t top the scale when it comes to calories. The brand also benefits from high levels of recognition in the UK – with 84% of people recalling the smiley face of BN and 42% recalling the jingle and TV ad – so there are many reasons to believe the product will perform well and drive sales across a number of occasions.”
McVitie’s BN is launching in Asda stores nationwide, with a wider rollout in February.
Belgian Boys – the woman-owned startup, passionate about introducing European treats to Americans – has launched its toaster-ready Brioche French Toast exclusively in Target stores.
Committed to quick-and-easy breakfasts that are equal parts great taste and fun, the Brioche French Toast can be found in the refrigerated aisle, alongside other morning staples like eggs and yogurt.
The treat is convenient and very simple to make in a toaster or pan-fried and made with non-GMO ingredients, free from palm oil, artificial flavours and preservatives.
“We believe that when it comes to indulging, we should indulge well,” said Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys.
“Our Brioche French Toast takes what used to be a messy, time-intensive weekend pleasure and turns it into a quick and easy any-day breakfast. Now more than ever, we want to give our community another delicious way to turn up the happy. This is our invitation to enjoy a heavenly yet classic morning meal before tackling the day ahead.”
The new offering is rolling out in 600+ Targets across the US, with a bigger rollout in the summer. Each box contains four slices of Brioche French Toast and has an RRP of $4.99 (on promo at Target for $3.99 for the month of February).