The Flowing Heart™ logo that can be found on Pink Lady® Brand Cripps Pink Variety Apples is taking on added significance thanks to a study on the benefits of apples in reducing the risk of heart disease.
As pointed out in a news release from the U.S. Apple Association, a study of more than 34,000 women shows apples may prove to be a winner when it comes to reducing that disease. A report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says it as to do with the fact that apples are rich in flavonoids.
Flavonoid-rich apples (along with red wine and pears) were found to decrease the risk of mortality for both coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among post-menopausal women.
As the Apple Association also notes, “the publication of this positive study comes on the heels of updated heart disease prevention guidelines for woman just released by the American Heart Association.”
As part of their guidelines, the AHA emphasizes that woman increase their intake of fruits and vegetables to help prevent heart disease over their lifetime, not just to reduce short-term risk.
“These guidelines are especially significant for the Pink Lady® Brand because it was the first apple in the AHA Food Certification Program,” said Alan Taylor, marketing director.
“Being in this AHA program and its connection to the Heart-Check mark were very positive for the Pink Lady® Brand and these guidelines certainly helped to emphasize the healthful aspects of this apple,” he said.
In order to be included in the AHA Heart-Check program, the Pink Lady® Brand had to meet the association’s food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age two.
The little guys wearing the tuxedos are hot even in the coldest of circumstances these days as penguins are being featured in everything from motion pictures to Pink Lady® Brand Cripps Pink Variety advertising.
“It was in the spring of last year that our advertising agency, The Rooftop Group, was presenting a number of ideas for the 2005-06 promotion campaign,” said Alan Taylor, Pink Lady® America marketing director.
“There were a number of approaches presented that included graphics that were generated in order to properly illustrate each concept for our consideration. On purpose or not, the last one focused on the penguins and within a matter of seconds, we were sold on them!”
The concept in question actually involves three penguins standing together in the forefront of an icy and watery scene. The ‘kicker’ is that the penguins on the outside are facing a pink penguin between them.
“With the creation of the pink character we were able to cover a number of areas beyond the fact the ad instantly attracts attention.” Taylor said. “It also demands action from the target audience and it promotes the color pink (associated to the Pink Lady® Brand Cripps Pink Variety) which research has shown is highly useful in eliciting a positive response especially from women.”
The penguin ads were used in produce trade publications such as the Produce News and Produce Business Magazine, The Good Fruit Grower and a price card designed to impact consumers. Then a postcard mailing directed to retailers. Emphasizing the need for retailers to understand the growing importance of trademarks in produce and the need for the building of brand equity.
It’s also interesting to point out that the ‘penguin concept’ was introduced before the March Of The Penguins hit the theaters in mid-summer. Costing only around a million dollars to produce, the ‘Penguins’ went on to become one of the top documentary money-makers in history and earlier this year won the Academy Award in that same category.
The next time you see ‘Uniquely Pink™’ or ‘Follow The Pink™’ please be aware that those little guys are not only putting in long hours to survive in the brutal conditions in the Antarctic. They are also going an extra mile to help in the promotion of Pink Lady® Brand Cripps Pink Variety.
You may or may not have noticed the register mark ® on the Price Look Up (PLU) sticker on your Pink Lady® Brand Apple. You will see the same symbol on most major products in the supermarket but in the produce business, with the exceptions, trademarks are something quite new.
Why are trademarks now showing up on products such as the Pink Lady® Brand? Well, what most people don’t realize is like other areas it takes money to have new items in the produce department.
With apples such as Pink Lady®, this often means searching the world to find new products. This is followed by complex evaluations in orchard based test blocks. If a particular apple (or soft fruit) makes it through the evaluation stage, it is then marketed to growers. Each step in the process takes money and trademarks can help provide financial support.
While this aspect of this apple likely means little to you as a consumer, the Pink Lady® trademark should mean something when you are looking for the best quality as the Pink Lady® Brand with the trademark is packed to quality standards.
