Chiquita Goes Bananas for Little League
To mark the start of a multiyear partnership, Chiquita Brands International Inc. and Little League Baseball are bringing Chiquita FanFun to consumers this summer. Cincinnati-based Chiquita is offering in-store, online and mobile ways for customers to interact and win prizes, among them a Chiquita FanFun Favorite Team Package consisting of a four-day, three-night trip for a family of four to see their favorite pro baseball team in spring training.
“I love baseball,” recalled Chiquita chairman and CEO Fernando Aguirre, Chiquita chairman and CEO. “I was also a Little Leaguer and played throughout college. Little League provides a great way for youth to get active and is connected with our mission to improve world nutrition.”
As part of the program, Chiquita Bananas are now the Official Fresh Snack of Little League Baseball and Softball. The brand will also have a presence at the Little League World Series Championship games, which will take place in the league’s headquarters of South Williamsport, Pa., this August.
“The Chiquita FanFun sweepstakes is sure to give our baseball and softball enthusiasts even more to look forward to this summer,” said Stephen D. Keener, president and CEO of Little League Baseball and Softball.
Through Aug. 31, at Chiquita Banana retail outlets across the United States, shoppers will encounter secondary, collectable Little League stickers on the brand's bananas, along with the familiar blue-and-yellow Chiquita blue oval logo. Online, at Chiquita’s Facebook page and the Chiquita FanFun landing page, fans can find sweepstakes entry details and download the brand’s first mobile app, which is available in the iTunes and Android/Google Play markets. Users of the app, which includes Chiquita and Little League trivia, a store locator to find Chiquita Banana retailers, and the ability for young players to make their very own trading cards with the Little League Cardmaker, will automatically be entered in the sweepstakes.
“Chiquita FanFun is a great way for us to provide our retailers a fun and exciting promotion for their shoppers,” noted Joe Huston, Chiquita president for North America. “Little League is relevant in every market in the country, and provides excitement around summer baseball and softball activities. Chiquita Bananas are the perfect fresh snack for Little League players to fuel their game.”