CINCINNATI – Chiquita Brands International (NYSE: CQB) announced a unique marketing partnership with Twentieth Century Fox to promote Rio, a 3D animated motion picture from the creators of Ice Age™, the highest grossing animated film franchise of all time. This month, Chiquita is rolling out the red carpet in the produce aisle and online for consumers, offering them the opportunity to bring home Rio characters through fun, healthy Chiquita-branded products, online games, delicious recipes, and multiple chances to win prizes, including a trip to Rio de Janeiro.
“This is a unique opportunity for Chiquita consumers to experience the magic of Hollywood,” said Tanios Viviani, president, global innovation and emerging markets and chief marketing officer. “We’ve built an interactive playground for our consumer families to have fun, explore the movie Rio, and earn samples of our delicious and nutritious Chiquita-branded products.”
At retail, consumers will find Rio versions of Chiquita’s iconic stickers on Chiquita® bananas and Chiquita® Fresh & Ready® avocados. Additionally, starting in April, there will be collectible mobile phone stickers available on select Chiquita® Pineapples featuring Rio characters Blu, Jewel, Luiz, Raphael, Nico and Pedro, as well as Rio themed packaging for Chiquita Minis®.
Unlike traditional sweepstakes, consumers who visit www.chiquita.com/rio will find a progressive sweepstakes that incorporates community “badging.” The more one interacts with website, the more virtual badges and chances to win one receives, and the more badges the site’s community of registered users earn, the bigger and better the prizes get “unlocked” for winning. Prizes include exclusive digital downloads, one-year supplies of Chiquita-branded products, Rio swag provided by Twentieth Century Fox, and a grand prize trip to Rio de Janeiro provided by American Airlines® Vacations™ . The promotion will be open to consumers through Tuesday, May 31, 2011.
About Rio
Rio, in theaters everywhere April 15, is a comedy adventure about taking a walk on the wild side. Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu’s female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers. With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth talking city birds, Blu escapes. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had. The film stars the voices of Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Mann, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, will.i.am, Jake T. Austin, Rodrigo Santoro and Jamie Foxx.
About Chiquita Brands International, Inc.
Chiquita Brands International, Inc. is a leading international marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added food products – from energy-rich bananas and other fruits to nutritious blends of convenient green salads. The company markets its healthy, fresh products under the Chiquita® and Fresh Express® premium brands and other related trademarks. With annual revenues of more than $3 billion, Chiquita employs approximately 21,000 people and has operations in nearly 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.chiquitabrands.com.
Chiquita Brands International, Inc. is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New Jersey, headquartered at 250 East Fifth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 USA.
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Source: Chiquita Brands