Chobani Champions® Helps Parents And Kids "Win the Day" With Support From Olympic Gold Medalist Jennie Finch

NEW BERLIN, N.Y., June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Chobani, America's number one selling yogurt brand, debuted its first national television advertising campaign this month to support Chobani Champions, the authentic strained Greek low fat yogurt made just for kids.  As part of the "Win the Day" campaign, the television spot features two-time Olympic medalist and U.S. softball sensation Jennie Finch and her own "champion," 6 year old son Ace.

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"'Win the Day' was born from the struggles parents face daily to get their children to eat something that's good for them," said Doron Stern, Vice President of Marketing at Chobani. "Chobani Champions is the antithesis of what's typically found in the kids' yogurt aisle; instead of high-sugar, preservative-laden offerings with flashy characters, Champions offers a yummy experience without sacrifice."

"As a mom, I'm always looking for good food options to keep my sons happy and healthy," said Jennie Finch. "Ace loves the Champions VerryBerry flavor, and I love that it's made with only natural ingredients and is a good source of protein. I'm excited to be working with Chobani to promote a product that's both nutritious and delicious."

The need for a yogurt that offers parents and kids both nutrition and taste was echoed in a national survey recently conducted by Braun Research on behalf of Chobani.* The survey revealed that despite the fact that 95% of parents said it was "extremely important" or "very important" that their children ate healthy foods, the majority of parents were more apt to describe their child's breakfast as "easy to prepare" versus "healthy" or "nutritious." And while 77% of parents listed protein as the most important nutrient in their child's breakfast, only 28% felt their kid's current breakfast was a good source of protein.

"Because our yogurt is authentically strained, each serving of Champions is a good source of protein and is over 95% lactose free," said registered dietitian Kara Lydon, Health Communications Manager at Chobani. "Plus Champions has 20% of your child's daily vitamin D needs, is gluten free and Kosher certified so it's perfect to power your little champion through the day."

In addition to the television spot which will be running on a mix of national and local networks including NBC, ABC, Bravo and Lifetime through the fall, the multi-million dollar Champions campaign developed by Leo Burnett New York with support from Big Spaceship and Fleishman-Hillard, consists of full-page print ads in magazines such as People, Parenting and Redbook, as well as digital, on-pack promotions, a mobile sampling tour and robust social media and public relations support.

The Chobani Champions Tour Bus will be visiting towns across the U.S. handing out free cups of Champions at the following events:

• Kids Fest (San Diego, CA): June 9-10
• Utah Arts Festival (Salt Lake City, UT): June 21-24
• Montana Folk Festival (Butte, MT): July 13-14
• Air Magic Valley – Air Show (Twin Falls, ID): July 28-29
• Kool Aid Days (Hastings, NB): August 12-14
• Hampton Beach Children's Festival (Hampton Beach, NH): August 13-17
• Nottingham Kids Triathlon (Baltimore, MD): August 25
• Taste of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA): October 5-7

For more information about Chobani Champions, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/chobanichampions or online at www.chobanichampions.com

About Chobani Champions
Introduced in 2010, Chobani Champions is the delicious, authentic strained Greek Yogurt made just for kids. Made with only natural ingredients, like wholesome low-fat milk and real fruit, each 3.5oz kid-sized cup contains a good source of protein and calcium and 20% of the Daily Value for vitamin D. Champions is available nationwide and retails for MSRP $2.99/Champions 4-pack in a variety of delicious, creamy flavors including VerryBerry, Honey-Nana, Orange Vanilla and Vanilla Chocolate Chunk. For more information, visit chobanichampions.com or connect with the brand on Facebook at Facebook.com/chobanichampions.

About Chobani
Maker of America's #1 selling yogurt brand – authentic strained Chobani Greek Yogurt – Chobani was founded on the belief that people have great taste; they just need great options. That is why Chobani produces only the highest quality, best tasting products made with only natural ingredients out of its New Berlin, N.Y. production facility. The company is also constructing a second domestic 900,000 square-foot production plant in Twin Falls, Idaho, which will be the largest yogurt manufacturing facility in the country. As part of Chobani's Nothing But Good philosophy, it is committed to supporting local farmers and strengthening its surrounding area economies. Chobani uses milk from New York-area farms and gives 10% of its annual post-tax profits to charities worldwide through the Shepherd's Gift Foundation, the company's charitable arm. All Chobani products are gluten free, Kosher certified, made with milk free of rBST and provide five live and active cultures, three strains of probiotics and two times more protein than regular yogurt. Chobani retails for MSRP $1.29/6oz, $3.29/16oz, $5.99/32oz, and $2.99/Champions 4-pack. Chobani products are available nationwide. For more information, visit chobani.com.

*Telephone, landline and cell phone survey with 754 American parents age 18+ with children two to 13 years of age. Conducted by Braun Research, Inc. on behalf of Chobani Champions from February 29, 2012 to March 10, 2012.

SOURCE Chobani