GoGo squeeZ™ Kicks Off Most Playful Year Ever January 11; 11 City Takeover Filled With Fun For Families

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- GoGo squeeZ applesauce on-the-go, the leader in fruit-based pouches, announced today it is on a mission to help U.S. families be more playful. To begin fulfilling the promise of making 2014 "the most playful year ever," the brand has declared January 11 (1-11) as "Play Day" nationwide, launched its first-ever national advertising campaign, and will be kicking off its second annual partnership with Life is good® Playmakers by donating $11,000 towards spreading the power of play.

In celebration of "Play Day," 11 cities across the nation – Aspen, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Miami and Tampa – will receive a visit from the brand's "playbassadors" for a day of surprises, delights, performances, and, of course, free samples of  GoGo squeeZ's "awesomesauce." In an effort to continue learning from its fan base, at each playful burst along the way GoGo squeeZ will be surveying families to learn how they incorporate playfulness into their daily lives.

Over the course of the day, "playbassadors" in each city will give away a total of 111,000 pouches of GoGo squeeZ, the no-spoon, no-mess way to enjoy fruit on-the-go. The playful main event will kick off at 1:11p.m. in each continental U.S. time zone, rolling from New York City to Los Angeles over the course of the day.

It all begins with performances by the New York Knicks dance team in New York City and an $11,000 donation to the brand's partners in play, Boston-based Life is good® Playmakers. The excitement will then travel to Chicago with an appearance by Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast Kerri Strug, then to Aspen with a snowman building contest on the slopes, and will culminate in Los Angeles with extreme pogo-stick feats by the X-pogo Team.

"GoGo squeeZ 'Play Day' is our way of celebrating the new year with our fans both new and old," said Michel Larroche, CEO Materne/GoGo squeeZ. "This multi-market event starts our most playful year yet and expands our ongoing commitment to creating a more playful world – one on-the-go family at a time."

Last year a nationwide GoGo squeeZ-commissioned survey revealed that U.S. families have trouble incorporating playfulness into their daily lives. GoGo squeeZ realizes that being playful is an important aspect of childhood development and is committed to providing parents with the tools they need to empower playfulness, not just in their children but also in themselves. "Play Day" marks just the restart of that empowering stance in 2014.

Families everywhere can join in on the fun by following the #gogoplayfully hashtag and @gogosqueez handle on Twitter for a chance to win great giveaways. In addition, families are encouraged to book their own play day at www.gogoplayday.com and then share it with their networks to pass on playful moments to as many people as possible.

Those who book a play day online will also receive a coupon for GoGo squeeZ, while supplies last. Through www.gogoplayday.com, more than 50,000 coupons have already been claimed since launching earlier this week and, in the process, GoGo squeeZ has uncovered what participating parents and caregivers find most impacts their capacity to get playful: work (46 percent) and household chores (32 percent).

Thankfully, GoGo squeeZ has lots of fun guidance on how to incorporate play into household chores and work so that unstructured play in the home can thrive. Throughout the year, GoGo squeeZ will continue asking families online and at events how they incorporate playfulness into their daily lives, all in an effort to better meet their on-the-go needs.

First National Advertising Campaign
The "Play Day" campaign is supported by GoGo squeeZ's first national media buy in television, print and digital. A robust digital and social campaign round out a fully integrated marketing plan that includes multiple touch points to drive awareness of the GoGo squeeZ brand and its fruit squeezer product line.

More importantly, GoGo squeeZ is committed to empowering playfulness for many more families with their all natural, 100% fruit in a pouch that can fuel all of life's adventures, big and small. This sentiment and energy is reflected in the inaugural television ad which depicts children and families engaged in imaginative, unstructured play and ways GoGo squeeZ empowers playful, on-the-go moments.

For more information and a full "Play Day" schedule, visit www.GoGosqueeZ.com, "like" GoGo squeeZ on Facebook, or follow @gogosqueez on Twitter.

About Materne's GoGo squeeZ
GoGo squeeZ all-natural squeezable applesauce is simple, yummy fun, and it delights like a game of tag or a run through a backyard sprinkler. We believe in real fun foods that are easy, smart and fit into peoples' busy lives. Originally founded in France where it is known as Pom'Potes, GoGo squeeZ launched in the U.S. in June 2008. Collectively, Materne has sold more than 2 billion pouches to families around the world. Materne North America is headquartered in New York City. GoGo squeeZ products come in a re-sealable pouch that features a built-in straw, making it a no-spoon, no-mess way to enjoy 100% fruit on the go. Our pouches are all-natural, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and made with no artificial flavors or preservatives. GoGo squeeZ is sold at over 50,000 locations nationwide including Walmart, Target, Costco, Kroger, Publix, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods Market, and a growing list of other major retailers. For more information, please visit: www.gogosqueez.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

SOURCE GoGo squeeZ