Coast to Coast: Cuties® California Clementines and Mandarins go National

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The kid-friendly California citrus that West Coast shoppers have grown to love is bringing a bit of sunshine to the East Coast. Beginning this month, Cuties® California Clementines and Mandarins are available coast-to-coast for the first time ever.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111207/LA18909LOGO)

In support of the national launch the brand will introduce a $20 million national television and print advertising campaign that is among the most significant in the fresh fruit, vegetable or salad category.

"We know how much parents love sharing Cuties® Clementines with their kids on the West Coast and we are excited to now offer this popular fruit to families across the country," said Marc Seguin, senior marketing director for Paramount Farms North America.

In conjunction with the national launch, Cuties® has also introduced a new, interactive website created especially for kids and proud parents to celebrate the cute things kids do. The site (www.CutiesKids.com) will showcase parent-uploaded videos and pictures, featuring kids doing what they do best: having fun, acting silly and of course, being oh-so adorably cute. Bragging rights aren't the only prizes parents can win by uploading images of their kids: Cuties® is giving away a college scholarship worth $150,000 to the star of the cutest kid video.

Cuties® is teaming up with DonorsChoose.org, a not-for-profit organization that lets contributors across the country fund classroom projects posted by public school teachers on the DonorsChoose.org website. For every video uploaded, users will receive a $10 DonorsChoose.org gift card to use towards any classroom project of their choice. Weekly winners will receive a $500 DonorsChoose.org gift card and the winner of the grand prize will receive a $5,000 card. Cuties® is committed to kids and education and will continue the charity gift card giveaway up to $100,000 in addition to the individual college scholarship prize.

"The CutiesKids.com site is another way for us to reward parents for something they already love to do – show off their kids," said Seguin. "What better way to do that than winning a free college education for your little cutie."

In addition to school contributions, Cuties® will award daily and weekly prizes for the first 18 weeks, leading up to one grand prize winner. Participants will be able to share their videos using their social network platforms, and the winners will be determined by the number of online votes.

• Daily Prizing: Forty-one video contestants per day will each have a chance to win a Cuties® T-shirt, beanie, lunch box, tumbler or plush toy.
• Weekly Prizing: One video contestant per week will win a $500 DonorsChoose.org gift card to use to fund a project of their choice in addition to an active game console.
• Grand Prize: One grand prize winner will be awarded a college scholarship worth $150,000, a $5,000 DonorsChoose.org gift card to use to fund a project of their choice and a season's supply of Cuties®.

To submit a video of your kid, or to watch some seriously cute videos, log on to CutiesKids.com. 

About Cuties® Brand
Thanks to their small size, sweet flavor and easy peelability, Cuties® are naturally kid-friendly. And with their high nutritional content, they're a big hit with parents, too. Available from November through May, Cuties® offer a variety of nutrients per serving including: fiber, potassium, protein, calcium, vitamin C and folate. Cuties® is a joint venture between Paramount Citrus, Sun Pacific and Fowler Packing. For more information, visit www.Cutieskids.com.

About DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org (www.donorschoose.org) is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Public school teachers post requests, and then individuals can browse and fund projects that speak to them. After completing a project, the donor hears back from the classroom they supported in the form of photographs and teacher thank-you letters. To date, 184,000 public and charter school teachers have used the site to secure funding for $85 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn. Through DonorsChoose.org, individuals from all walks of life have helped 5.1 million students.

SOURCE Cuties