Consumer Behavior Change

Disney, Dole Launch Character-Clad Produce to Promote Healthy Eating

Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) and Dole Food Company have announced a co-branded assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables featuring iconic Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel characters.

By Sustainable Brands | Published 8 years ago | About a 2 minute read

Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) and Dole Food Company have announced a co-branded assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables featuring iconic Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel characters. The campaign hopes to promote healthy eating among children in line with Disney’s Healthy Living Commitment and Dole’s nutrition education initiatives.

“Disney and Dole have a shared mission of providing high quality produce to help families lead healthier lives,” said Josh Silverman, the executive vice president of global licensing at DCPI. “As an industry leader in licensed food, we are excited to pair our unrivaled portfolio of brands, characters and stories with Dole’s fresh fruits and vegetables to support parents as they encourage their kids to make healthier food choices.”

Disney-branded Dole bananas, pineapples, berries, and vegetables will hit grocery and retail store shelves nationwide this fall. The companies will continue the partnership in 2017 with a host of other health and nutrition education programs themed around other Disney, Star Wars and Marvel films and characters. These programs will include consumer promotions, digital integrations, in-store activities, and themed recipes featuring Dole products to encourage kids and families to adopt diets rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.

“It’s rare that two iconic brands with as much passion and potential for improving the way America and the world eats can come together to make positive change,” said Bil Goldfield, the director of communications for the Dole Food Company. “As one of the world’s foremost nutrition leaders, Dole is excited to partner with Disney to take both companies’ commitment to health and wellness to the next level. Together, we can do even more to deliver fun, educational and nutritional information around the power of produce to individuals and families across North America.”

In 2006, Disney established a Nutrition Guide Policy to associate its brands and characters with a more nutritious portfolio of foods and beverages. In 2012, Disney announced it would stop accepting some junk food ads on television programs, radio shows, and websites aimed at children. Food and beverage products are required to meet the media company’s nutritional guidelines in order to be featured in commercials. Disney has also previously partnered with other food companies such as Kellogg to launch co-branded products such as cereal, with characters including Mickey Mouse and those from Frozen.

Similarly, Sesame Street previously partnered with the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and the Partnership for a Healthy America (PHA) to help promote fresh fruit and vegetable consumption to children over a 2-year agreement.