Chobani® Champions Inspires Kids to be Imaginative, Active, Courageous and Caring

NORWICH, N.Y., Sept. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Chobani Champions, the first Greek Yogurt for kids created by the makers of America's #1 selling yogurt brand, is celebrating "champions" across the country with the launch of a fun, interactive consumer campaign inspired by Chobani's "Nothing But Good" philosophy.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110923/CG74065)

Chobani Champions is creamy, packed with protein, calcium and vitamin D, and comes in delicious flavors like Honey-Nana and VerryBerry, that kids love. It is also made with only natural ingredients, including low-fat yogurt and real fruit, and is free of preservatives, artificial flavors and milk treated with rBST.

But to Chobani, the notion of Champions goes beyond yogurt.

"At Chobani, we believe that being a 'champion' is more than just about eating right," said John Heath, Vice President of New Ventures and Innovation at Chobani. "Champions are imaginative, active, courageous and caring – the four pillars of our kids' brand.

Chobani Champions will be celebrating "champions" beginning this fall through a variety of consumer touch points including a bus tour, mobile technology, social media and more.

Champions Tour Bus:

The Chobani Champions bus will meet with consumers at stops along the East Coast, starting with the Life is Good Festival in Canton, M.A., on September 24th. In addition to sampling, these local market events will allow consumers to interact with the bus through augmented reality and mobile technology, including a "photo booth." The brand has also partnered with KaBOOM! to gift Imagination Playground in a Box™ sets to deserving local communities in three cities along the way.

Created by internationally renowned architect David Rockwell, Imagination Playground is a breakthrough playspace concept that allows children to design their own course of play using uniquely designed foam blocks in a variety of shapes and sizes, with interconnecting loose parts. The playground set comes in two lockable metal storage boxes, and can be used to build and rebuild with endless possibilities based on children's imagination.

"We are thrilled to be working with Chobani to bring Imagination Playgrounds to communities in need to advance our shared belief that regular outdoor play is critical to a child's health and well-being," said Darell Hammond, CEO and Founder of KaBOOM! "As a result of their generous donation, we are one step closer to making sure every child in America has a great place to play." KaBOOM! And Chobani have teamed up to support the Save Play campaign to provide great places to play for one million children this year.

To learn more about KaBOOM! and the campaign to Save Play, visit www.kaboom.org.

Champlify Mobile Application:

The Champlify mobile application, available now on Android and iOS, offers a digital destination for parents and kids to participate in activities to unlock trophies and rewards. Champlify challenges users with a series of regular activities that are meant to embody each of the four pillars of being a Champion - Imaginative, Active, Courageous and Caring - while offering bonding and mentoring opportunities for the parent.

ChampTags/Packaging:

Beginning in October, collectable ChampTag medals will appear under the lid of individual Chobani Champions' yogurt. Each specially designed ChampTag medal contains a unique code that brings the image to life in stunning 3-D when viewed using the ChampVision mobile application. In addition, users have the opportunity to complete challenges to win additional trophies upon unlocking the ChampTag.

For more information and to engage with the brand online, please visit the Champions Website, www.ChobaniChampions.com, as well as Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Chobani and Twitter www.twitter.com/Chobani.

About Chobani

As America's #1 selling yogurt brand, 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 their South Edmeston, N.Y. production facility. As part of Chobani's Nothing But Good philosophy, they are committed to supporting local farmers and strengthening the New York State economy. They exclusively use milk from New York-area farms and give a portion of their annual profits to charities worldwide through the Shepherd's Gift Foundation. All Chobani products are gluten free, Kosher certified, made with milk free of rBST and provide two times more protein than regular yogurt. Chobani retails for MSRP $1.29/6oz, $3.29/16oz, $5.99/32oz, and $3.99/Champions 4-pack. All Chobani products are available nationwide. For more information, please visit chobani.com.

About KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play. Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is having disastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overall well-being. To fight this Play Deficit, social entrepreneur Darell Hammond founded non-profit KaBOOM! 15 years ago in Washington, D.C. with a vision of creating a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 85,000 places to play, built more than 2,000 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies in hundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities with online tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a local and national level. Hammond chronicles the founding of the organization and the importance of the cause of play in his The New York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play. The book details how businesses and communities can work together to save play for children across the country. All author proceeds support KaBOOM!. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit kaboom.org.

SOURCE Chobani Yogurt