Birds Eye, America's Leading Vegetable Company, Joins Partnership for a Healthier America in the Fight Against Childhood Obesity

Birds Eye announces three-year campaign commitment aimed at increasing vegetable consumption among kids

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which works with the private sector and its honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama to end the childhood obesity crisis, today announced that Birds Eye, America's leading vegetable company, is launching a three-year effort to encourage kids to look at vegetables in a whole new way.

Birds Eye will invest a minimum of $6 million over three years and is launching a campaign that celebrates and engages GenVeg —a generation of kids who want to eat and enjoy their vegetables. This marketing and advertising effort will encourage children to eat more vegetables by going straight to the source, kids, through a partnership with Nickelodeon's hit live-action series iCarly in 2012 and one of America's most well-known young stars who will serve as campaign ambassador, reaching kids where they are, on their level and in their own voice. Additionally, the company will distribute 50 million coupons and bring to market two kid-inspired vegetable products to be launched nationally. 

"Helping parents afford to put vegetables on the plate and helping kids get excited about eating them are vital components of making our nation healthier," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "I'm proud that Birds Eye and the Partnership for a Healthier America have come together to make the healthy choice the easy choice for families and I hope more companies step up to help our kids grow up healthy and strong."

"Most people know what they need to do to eat healthier – the challenge comes in lowering the cost, making healthier options more accessible and, maybe most important, getting our kids to actually want to eat their veggies," said PHA President and CEO Larry Soler. "Birds Eye understands that talking to kids differently about eating their vegetables is an important part of helping to change their eating habits. Their commitment embodies the PHA's goal to help make the healthy choice the easy choice – not just by reducing barriers like cost and time, but also by focusing on something we sometimes overlook: taste."

"Birds Eye is taking a different approach to helping kids discover the wonder of vegetables by going straight to the source," said Sally Genster Robling, president of the Birds Eye Frozen Division. "We're asking kids what they think about fresh vegetables in frozen form and inviting them to help us create new veggie products just for kids. By engaging and empowering moms and kids with options available year round, Birds Eye hopes to get more vegetables on America's dinner plates."

Birds Eye is making the following commitments:

• Birds Eye commits to dedicate at least $2 million per year for each of three years—calendar years 2012, 2013 and 2014—to marketing and advertising efforts to encourage children to enjoy and consume vegetables. These funds will support a GenVeg consumer marketing campaign that speaks directly to kids, in the voices of kids.
  • In 2012, the GenVeg campaign will appear on Nickelodeon and specifically on the hit live-action series, iCarly. Potential media channels for the GenVeg campaign will also include: TV, radio, digital, print, in-store and retailer-specific campaigns as well as other communication vehicles. 
  • At least one-third of the GenVeg television messages will reach women age 26-54 with children between ages six and 11 and household income of $30,000 or less.
• Birds Eye commits to investing in product innovation to bring to market at least two new kid-inspired vegetable products. 
  • Each of the new Birds Eye products must meet 2010 US Dietary Guidelines and the company will introduce these products to retailers nationwide.
• Birds Eye commits to conduct a three-year program to distribute at least 50 million coupons tied to the GenVeg campaign encouraging children to discover the wonder of vegetables. These coupons must promote products that meet US Dietary Guidelines and price reductions must be at least 50 percent off.

Every company that works with PHA is required to agree that PHA will monitor and report on progress toward their commitment.  Birds Eye has agreed to work with an independent verifier to report the progress of their commitment for PHA's annual report.

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation's youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with – but independent from – First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation's most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most important, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased, third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, please visit www.aHealthierAmerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.

About Birds Eye®                                                                                            
Birds Eye® unlocks the wonder of vegetables and makes them accessible and enjoyable to everyone, everyday. Using vegetables picked and frozen at their peak of freshness, Birds Eye® helps Americans make vegetables a meaningful part of everyday life. Providing a range of tasty and exciting solutions that make eating vegetables a memorable taste experience, Birds Eye® has something for everyone: with pure and simple vegetables under the Birds Eye®, C&W®, Freshlike® and McKenzie's® brand names; Birds Eye Steamfresh® vegetables and vegetable rich blends; and Birds Eye Voila!® complete frozen meals. For more information on Birds Eye® visit www.birdseye.com or www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables. Birds Eye® is a portfolio brand of Pinnacle Foods Group LLC.

SOURCE Partnership for a Healthier America