Newark, Del. – The eat brighter!™ initiative, which leverages the strength and influence of the Sesame Street brand and characters to increase fresh produce consumption, has been extended through 2021. Produce Marketing Association (PMA), Partnership For A Healthier America (PHA), and Sesame Workshop (the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street) launched eat brighter! in 2013, featuring characters like Big Bird, Elmo, and Abby Cadabby on produce packaging and store signage to inspire children and families to choose fresh fruits and vegetables.
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with Sesame Workshop and the PHA to extend the eat brighter! movement, which is a key component of PMA’s demand creation activities to grow a healthier world,” said PMA CEO Cathy Burns. “Our members have welcomed this opportunity to serve their customers and consumers in general with delicious, healthful produce as they build produce consumers for life.”
Scores of PMA members have joined the eat brighter! initiative (www.pma.com/eatbrighter) since its inception. Retailers in the United States, Canada and Mexico can participate, as well as suppliers and promotional organizations worldwide that supply those retailers. The initiative has gained national publicity through outreach from the three partners.
“We are excited to extend eat brighter! through 2021 and to continue working with the produce industry to encourage healthy habits for kids and their families,” said Gabriela Arenas, Vice President of North America Licensing for Sesame Workshop.
Affordable for all companies, participants use images of popular Sesame Street characters to appeal to kids age 2–5 and their families and drive produce consumption. Suppliers report sales increases, and retailers and promotion boards have observed eat brighter! materials creating excitement in the produce department.
"We have proven again that making nutritious foods affordable and available is what American families want. We applaud the retailers and distributors participating in the eat brighter! campaign — and your savviness is paying dividends for your bottom line and for children's health," said Nancy E. Roman, President and CEO, Partnership for a Healthier America.
The eat brighter! initiative offers turnkey graphics and marketing materials to make it easy for any fresh produce company to join and succeed
About Produce Marketing Association
Produce Marketing Association (PMA) is the leading trade association representing companies from every segment of the global produce and floral supply chain. PMA helps members grow by providing connections that expand business opportunities and increase sales and consumption. For more information, visit www.pma.com
About Sesame Workshop: Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically-funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit sesameworkshop.org.
About PHA
PHA’s mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to bring lasting systemic changes that improve the food supply, increase healthy choices, increase physical activity and contribute to a culture of health. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with – but independent from – Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA identifies, accelerates and celebrates voluntary business practices that improve or increase choice or lead to new norms and behavior around food and physical activity. For more information about PHA, please visit www.aHealthierAmerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.
