Oppy organic category manager Chris Ford and marketing communications manager Karin Gardner, clad in Jazz apple cycling kit, are pedalling more than 200 miles each to boost the Jazz brand, according to the North American marketer, climbing over 14,000 feet of hilly terrain along California’s Central Coast.
“We’re taking the idea of elevating brand awareness literally,” Ford joked.
While their main focus aligns with the purpose of Tour de Fresh - boosting access to fresh fruit and vegetables by raising funds for school salad bars —Ford and Gardner, along with representatives from Jazz brand-owner T&G Global, will draw attention to the refreshed Jazz apple look through branded gear, local media coverage and social media outreach.
Tour de Fresh riders are being encouraged to enter the Jazz Summer Vacation Sensation Instagram contest for a chance to win a US$3,000 grand prize.
As a premier sponsor of Tour de Fresh, Jazz apples will be refreshing riders throughout the three-day course, including at nutrition stops each day.
Complete with a fresh new logo, and supported by a full suite of nimble visual components, the refreshed brand, which made its North American debut in May, is already standing out with contemporary colours, eye-catching graphics and a compelling brand message.
“Our customers like the refreshed brand,” said David Nelley, vice president, categories, for Oppy. “The fresh-crop New Zealand fruit offers exceptional pressure in the summer, flavour is excellent, and the bright new graphics are creating attention and interest at the store level.”
Jazz apples and cycling have a decade-long history in North America. When the brand was first launched in the US, Jazz sponsored a semi-pro women’s cycling squad, made up of promising young New Zealand and North American athletes. Between training hard and earning recognition for the brand on race podiums, the Jazz Apple Cycling Team sampled the fruit at key retail outlets.
