Sesame Workshop Endorses Sunkist Citrus

Sunkist Growers has recruited Cookie Monster and Elmo to sell citrus fruit to kids.

Sunkist signed a licensing deal with Sesame Workshop, the producer of Sesame Street, for a multi-pronged campaign positioning citrus as a healthy snack.

Fruit bins and floor displays featuring Cookie Monster, Elmo, Big Bird and Zoe hit supermarkets next month; an in-store display station will carry a message for kids from the Sesame Street gang. An online and in-store sweeps will award a trip to Beaches Resort, and Sesame Street gift packs. A dedicated Web site, Sunkist.com/sesamestreet, launches Dec. 1, with recipes, snacking tips and family activities.

Sesame Workshop’s Maura Regan, Cookie Monster, and Sunkist Growers’ Jeff Gargiulo toast the deal

"Kids love Sesame Street and parents trust it. ... Sunkist will harness the energizing enjoyment of Sunkist citrus with the power and reach of Sesame Street to encourage healthy eating with today's families. It's a natural partnership," said Sunkist VP-Marketing Robert Verloop in a statement.

The partnership is part of Sesame Workshop's yearlong "Healthy Habits for Life" initiative with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, PBS Kids, The Parenting Group, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, The Ad Council and the YMCA of America.

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