WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (May 27, 2010) – Americans love bananas in their cereal, yogurt and smoothies for breakfast, and as a lunchtime staple and afternoon snack.
But what about bananas after the sun goes down – either for dinner, on the grill as a backyard BBQ alternative or as a healthier after-dinner treat?
That’s the proposition behind Go Bananas After Dark, a summer-long initiative by Dole to challenge the notion of America’s favorite fruit as a breakfast and lunch food only. Conceived by Dole Fresh Fruit Company, a subsidiary of Dole Food Company, Inc., the world’s largest provider of fresh bananas, the first-ever program offers the country’s millions of banana lovers fun, intriguing new ways to enjoy the iconic fruit for dinner, dessert and as a unique twist on their summer BBQ and grilling plans.
Most Americans wouldn’t even think of a breakfast or lunch without bananas, explained David Bright, vice president of marketing for Dole Fresh Fruit. In fact, this devotion has made bananas the top-selling item in grocery stores, enjoyed in more than 96 percent of American homes. Yet even many of the most ardent banana fans aren’t aware of the amazing things you can do with bananas on the grill and as a healthier dessert indulgence.
Kicking off in June 2010, Dole’s Go Bananas After Dark program features radio advertising, PR, online and social media activities designed to encourage consumers to widen their banana horizons. Dole is also partnering with retailers in key markets.
A key component of the summertime initiative is the development and distribution of delicious new DOLE Banana recipes and serving ideas for dinner, dessert and summer grilling. The new Go Bananas After Dark recipe library – ranging from Grilled Banana S’mores and Island Kabobs with Tropical Fruit Salsa to Teriyaki Pork Chops with Grilled Bananas and Brennan’s New Orleans Original Bananas Foster – will be available on new DOLE Bananas-dedicated web and Facebook pages.
According to Bright, included in the recipe library are several like the ten-minute Grilled Bananas and Grilled Banana Boats that leverage the banana’s reputation as a guilt-free food, containing no fat, cholesterol or sodium – and offer a multitude of dessert options. Banana lovers can go the healthier route by topping their grilled bananas with fresh fruit, nuts and frozen yogurt or go for a more decadent creation with chocolate chips, marshmallows, ice cream and caramel. Bananas are one of the few genuine summertime treats that provide considerable health benefits, he said. In addition to qualifying as an excellent source of vitamins B6 and C and a good source of potassium and dietary fiber, they can provide the natural sweetness for some surprisingly indulgent desserts.
Dole will be going on the road between Memorial Day and Labor Day to take its Go Bananas After Dark message directly to banana consumers – both on its own and in partnership with the 2010 Char-Broil® Infrared Grilling Tour. Sponsored by Char-Broil® (www.charbroil.com), a leading marketer of infrared grills and other outdoor cooking products, the tour gives Dole the chance to introduce grilled DOLE Bananas to BBQ enthusiasts in more than 20 cities and at major summer BBQ events including Kansas City’s Great American BBQ Festival, the DC BBQ Battle in Washington, D.C., and Nashville’s Music City BBQ Festival.
Dole chefs and grilling experts will also be demonstrating the wonders of grilled bananas at TV, radio, print and online media outlets across the country. Featured on this second tour are stops at Brennan’s in New Orleans, the famous birthplace of the Bananas Foster, and other cities with a disproportionately high percentage of banana fans, including Des Moines, Iowa, and Kansas City, Mo.
Source: Dole Fresh Fruit Company
