Chiquita Offers Produce Lovers a Chance to Go to ‘Rio’

Chiquita Brands International has formed a marketing partnership with Twentieth Century Fox to promote “Rio,” a 3D animated movie from the makers of “Ice Age,” the highest-grossing animated film franchise of all time. In support of the new film, which opens nationwide April 15, the Cincinnati-based company is offering consumers the chance to bring home Rio characters through Chiquita branded products; online games, recipes, and plenty of opportunities to win such prizes as a trip to Rio de Janeiro.

“This is a unique opportunity for Chiquita consumers to experience the magic of Hollywood,” noted Tanios Viviani, the company’s 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.”

Shoppers will encounter Rio versions of Chiquita’s stickers on the brand’s bananas and Fresh & Ready avocados. Also, starting next month, collectible mobile phone stickers will roll out on select Chiquita Pineapples featuring film characters Blu, Jewel, Luiz, Raphael, Nico and Pedro, as well as Rio-themed packaging for Chiquita Minis.

In contrast to traditional sweepstakes, visitors to www.chiquita.com/rio will be able to take part in a contest incorporating community “badging.” The more consumers interact with the website, the more virtual badges and chances to win they amass, and the more badges the site’s community of registered users earn, the bigger and better the prizes that are “unlocked” for winning. Among those prizes are exclusive digital downloads, one-year supplies of Chiquita-branded products, Rio items from Twentieth Century Fox, and a grand-prize trip to Rio de Janeiro provided by American Airlines Vacations. The promotion runs through May 31.

Starring 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, “Rio tells the comedic adventure story of Blu, a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, who hears about Jewel, a female of his species living in Rio de Janeiro and sets out with his owner and best friend, Linda, from Moose Lake, Minn. Not long after his arrival, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers. Aided by Jewel’s street smarts and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes and must to find the courage to learn to fly, outwit the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda.