MONROVIA, Calif., Sept. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

• As a brand that believes everyone should be able to enjoy fruits and vegetables every day, Naked launches the 2018 Drink Good Do Good campaign.
• For every Shopping Cart dance video, Boomerang or photo posted with #FillYourCartForGood on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, Naked will donate the monetary equivalent of a cart of produce to communities in need.
• Naked partners with national nonprofit Wholesome Wave and like-minded ambassadors, John Legend and Misty Copeland, to raise awareness of the issue at hand and help increase access to affordable, quality, fresh fruits and vegetables.

 Nearly 30 million Americans don't have access to affordable, quality, fresh fruits and vegetables. This problem affects nearly one in 10 people across the country. Naked, along with like-minded ambassadors, including musician and activist John Legend and ballerina, author and icon Misty Copeland, is committed to raising awareness of this issue and helping increase access for those in need through its annual Drink Good Do Good campaign.

"Too many Americans don't have access to fresh fruits and vegetables," said John Legend. "And 60 percent of Americans don't even know this problem exists in their own community.^† I'm excited to join Naked to shed some light on the issue and help make a difference."

This year, Naked is asking consumers to do The Shopping Cart dance — everyone's favorite old-school dance move. For every Shopping Cart dance video, Boomerang or photo posted with #FillYourCartForGood on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, Naked will donate the monetary equivalent of a cart of produce worth $100 to communities in need.*

"I've talked openly about the fact that there were times when my family was on food stamps during my childhood," said Misty Copeland. "It wasn't about the best and healthiest foods. We ate to survive. After becoming a professional dancer, understanding that my body is my instrument, I finally appreciated the importance of nutrition. So I can relate to the millions of families in this country who don't have access to fresh produce. I also know the impact these foods can have on our bodies, our health and our spirit."

To launch the campaign, Naked is once again partnering with Wholesome Wave – a national nonprofit dedicated to making fruits and vegetables available to low-income families. Since 2015, Naked has donated more than $3,000,000 to Wholesome Wave, which has helped reach more than 300,000 underserved Americans each year, primarily through the Wholesome Wave SNAP Doubling Program.

"Fruits and vegetables are in our brand's DNA — and at Naked, we believe everyone should be able to enjoy fruits and vegetables every day," said Becca Kerr, senior vice president, Fruit and Vegetable portfolio at PepsiCo North America Nutrition. "Like Wholesome Wave, Naked knows the power of fresh fruits and vegetables, and we're proud to help increase access to affordable, quality fresh produce where it is limited."

This year, Naked is taking its partnership with Wholesome Wave to the next level by extending programming from farmers markets to the grocery aisles. They're helping introduce the Wholesome Wave Rewards Card to empower even more low-income families to purchase fruits and veggies. Naked's support is helping Wholesome Wave expand the program nationwide.

"These incentive programs help consumers make healthier choices for themselves and their families," said Michel Nischan, James Beard Award-winning chef, founder and CEO of Wholesome Wave. "From years of experience running Wholesome Wave, we know that when people can afford to choose healthier options — like fruits and vegetables — they do, which is why our partnership with Naked is so meaningful."

To join Naked, Wholesome Wave, John Legend and Misty Copeland as they help increase access to affordable, quality, fresh fruits and vegetables, post The Shopping Cart dance from Sept. 24 – Nov. 4 and, for each post, Naked will donate $100 to communities in need through Wholesome Wave. For inspiration, check out the video linked here. 

About Naked: Naked, a leader in fruit and veggie nutrition and innovation, was founded and first marketed towel-to-towel on the beaches of Santa Monica, California in 1983. For more than 30 years, Naked's products have been made without preservatives from high-quality ingredients to provide consumers easy access to fruits and vegetables in innovative forms. Naked Smoothies, Cold Pressed Juices and Fruit, Nut & Veggie Bars can be found in supermarkets, club stores, health food stores, airports and neighborhood markets throughout the nation.

About Wholesome Wave: Wholesome Wave is a national nonprofit making fruits and vegetables affordable for the people who need them most. When people can afford produce, they buy it. And when the millions of Americans struggling with poverty eat more fruits and vegetables, we see immediate improvements for families and farmers — and enormous long-term gains for public health, local economies, and the environment. Wholesome Wave's innovative initiatives reach 900,000 under-served consumers, as well as thousands of farmers annually, across the country. For more, visit wholesomewave.org.

*No purchase necessary. For each static or animated Shopping Cart dance with #FillYourCartForGood, Naked will donate the monetary equivalent of one cart of fruits and veggies, valued at $100, from September 24, 2018 to November 4, 2018 to Wholesome Wave. Maximum donation: $500,000. Please see full details available at www.drinkgooddogood.com.

**Source: https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/45032/33845_err143.pdf?v=41505

^† Source: A Naked survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+, and an additional 500 adults ages 18+ in each of eight DMAs: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Washington, D.C., Seattle-Tacoma, San Diego and Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, between July 7th and July 18th, 2016, using an email invitation and an online survey. The margin of error for results at the overall level is +/- 3.1%.The margin of error for results at the DMA level is 4.4%.

CONTACT: Nora Quartaro, nora.quartaro@pepsico.com 

SOURCE Naked