Grimmway Farms Builds on Relationship with NBC's The Biggest Loser, New Online Promotions Focus on Social Media Engagement

BAKERSFIELD, Calif., July 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Grimmway Farms, the world's largest carrot grower, is seeing big results from its relationship with NBC's "The Biggest Loser," licensed through NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products and Shine America.

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Using the hashtag #JustCrunchEm, the company found a top trending spot on Twitter in weekly Monday night parties hosted by Season 11 contestant Courtney Crozier during both the East and West Coast airings of The Biggest Loser. The effort earned Grimmway millions of impressions and proved to be an effective way to connect with the 1.6+ million fans of The Biggest Loser online. Crozier also worked with Grimmway to choose success stories about the journey to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The winning stories can be read on the Healthy Living section of Grimmway's newly re-launched website, www.grimmway.com/carrots.

Grimmway has developed new initiatives to build on the momentum of the partnership during the show's offseason. Starting April 29^th, Twitter parties with Courtney Crozier have been held bi-monthly on Monday nights at the same times The Biggest Loser aired. These parties focus on encouraging consumers to maintain healthy lifestyles all year long under the theme "A Fit Life Knows No Season". Using both #JustCrunchEm and #FitLife hashtags, the parties give The Biggest Loser fans and others an opportunity to live chat with hosts about healthy lifestyle tips, recipes, and nutrition and win fun prizes. Party dates and topics are updated monthly at www.justcrunchem.com.

Additionally, the company has announced its "A Fit Life Knows No Season" story promotion, which is held on its consumer website www.justcrunchem.com. The promotion features one Grimmway employee's Fit Life story each month, as well as one entrant's story selected by a panel of judges. Monthly winners are featured on Courtney's personal blog and receive a prize pack including a Biggest Loser cookbook, DVD, t-shirt, Just Crunch 'Em tumbler, and a Grimmway Farms soft-sided cooler bag with built-in speakers. The company is also continuing its Just Crunch 'Em sweepstakes, which consumers can enter for a chance to win a trip to a Biggest Loser Resort.

Bob Borda, Vice President of Marketing for Grimmway Farms remarked, "We are so excited about our ongoing relationship with NBC and The Biggest Loser. We fully support opportunities that tie the Grimmway Farms brand to interactive promotions that engage fans in ways that help them make healthier lifestyle choices. We're also pleased to involve our employees in this effort by initiating an internal challenge to inspire healthy lifestyles. We not only promote healthy choices, but practice them within our company."

Late last year, Grimmway debuted new packaging featuring The Biggest Loser brand, highlighting its relationship with the hit show, including The Just Crunch 'Em Sweepstakes, which provides consumers opportunities to win one of three weeklong trips to The Biggest Loser Resort. Between now and December 2013, consumers can enter by scanning the QR code on specially marked packages or by visiting www.justcrunchem.com.

"This synergistic relationship with Grimmway Farms is a great example of how we are encouraging consumers to make better choices for a healthier lifestyle, and how we are working to partner with companies that embrace The Biggest Loser program for healthy living," said Kim Niemi, Senior Vice President of NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products. "We are proud to work with Grimmway Farms as they work to make fresh produce more accessible to fans of the show and to offer inspiring incentives."

"The Biggest Loser and Grimmway Farms' relationship builds on established evidence that low-calorie, vitamin-rich vegetables—such as baby carrots—are a nutritious component of a healthy weight-loss plan," said Monica Austin, Senior Vice President of Business and Brand Development at Shine America. "The Biggest Loser brand continues to focus on innovative ways to promote healthy living and the success of this campaign illustrates how powerful social media can be to create change."

Derek Johnson, Executive Nutrition Director of The Biggest Loser Resorts added, "Every day, we're seeing more evidence that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, such as baby carrots, helps reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease and many forms of cancer."

* About the Fit Life Knows No Season Sweepstakes
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited or restricted. Open to residents of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Puerto Rico, all other US territories, and Quebec) who are eighteen (18) years of age or older. Begins April 29, 2013, 12 AM PST and ends September 30, 2013, 11:59:59 PM PST. Limit (1) entry during the promotional time period. To enter, and for full Official Rules and prize details, go to www.justcrunchem.com. Sponsor: Grimmway Farms, P.O. Box 81498 Bakersfield, CA 93380.

**About the Just Crunch 'Em Sweepstakes
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited or restricted. Open to residents of the fifty
50) United States or the District of Columbia who are eighteen (18) years of age or older. Begins November 1, 2012, 12:00am PST and ends December 31, 2013, 11:59pm PST. Limit one (1) entry per person/email address per day. Prize restrictions apply. To enter, and for full Official Rules and prize details, go to www.justcrunchem.com. Sponsor: Grimmway Farms, P.O. Box 81498 Bakersfield, CA 93380.

About Grimmway Farms
Founded in 1968, Grimmway Farms is the largest grower, producer and shipper of carrots in the world. Grimmway Farms is a produce industry leader in organic and sustainable farming practices and has been family owned and operated for over 40 years. For more information about Grimmway Farms, please visit www.grimmway.com.

About NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products Group
NBCUniversal is a leader in providing entertainment programming to the domestic and international marketplaces. NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products Group manages all global ancillary television business endeavors for the NBCUniversal Television Group, including third-party home entertainment distribution, consumer products, musical soundtracks, special markets projects and the NBCUniversal Online Store. For the latest product updates and an overview of the properties managed by the group, visit the NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products portal at http://nbcuconsumerproducts.com. Viewers can access "The Biggest Loser" health and fitness community and sign up to participate in The Biggest Loser At Home Program at www.biggestloser.com. The all new portal is the go-to destination for comprehensive and interactive weight-loss tools, bringing "The Biggest Loser" lifestyle from the hit NBC show right to your home.

About Shine America
Shine America is a world leader in producing and distributing compelling scripted and unscripted television and digital content. Shine America is known for popular and award-winning original series including The Biggest Loser, The Face, and Tabatha Takes Over as well as adaptations of Shine Group formats such as MasterChef, Minute to Win It, and scripted series including The Office and the upcoming FX drama The Bridge.

Shine America has development deals with some of the top producers in television including Nigel Lythgoe (Nigel Lythgoe Productions) and its own unscripted format label in Ardaban, led by the creators of the hit Food Network series Chopped. Shine Latino, a new division of Shine America, is producing and distributing original Spanish-language content to the U.S. and Latin American marketplaces.

The global Shine 360˚ division builds brands through the leveraging of its intellectual property and creating integrated marketing opportunities for advertisers. The company has also developed over 20 ground-breaking original online series on MSN, Yahoo!, YouTube premium channels and other platforms, many produced in partnership with global brands such as Walmart, Toyota, Kraft Foods, Subway and Microsoft. Through Shine Group's distribution arm, Shine International, Shine America distributes its extensive library of programming and formats to more than 150 countries.

About Biggest Loser Resorts
Founded on a four-point philosophy of fitness, nutrition, education and relaxation, guests of the Biggest Loser Resorts enjoy a nutritionally balanced, boot-camp style experience. Named one of the top ten destination spas for best affordability, best fitness program, best hiking and best for weight loss by Spafinder, the resorts offer a unique blend of education and exercise. Established in 2002 in Ivins, Utah, the company opened a second location in Malibu, California, in September 2010 and a third location in Niagara Falls, New York, in May 2012. To learn more about the Biggest Loser Resorts, please visit www.biggestloserresort.com. 

For More Information:
Bob Borda; VP of Marketing
PH: 661-845-5222
[email protected] 

SOURCE Grimmway Farms