A California table grape marketer has partnered with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to introduce consumers to new variety Pristine.
Bakersfield-based Blanc Vineyards in Bakersfield, has entered the company into a multi-year licensing deal with the NBA that will see official league and team logos on packaging for its newest varieties, including the Pristine, at supermarkets and in big box stores nationwide starting in June.
Pristine – a large, crunchy green grape – is the flagship proprietary variety grape of Blanc Vineyards, which have been growing it for more than 20 years. It has a crisp snappy texture coupled with a taste that starts off with a sweet vanilla streak and ends with a zesty Granny Smith apple finish. They are grown to retain firmness and fresh taste well after harvest.
The NBA partnership gives Blanc Vineyards a way to introduce consumers to a new kind of grape in an unexpected way.
“Green grapes are a natural, healthy snack food. To most consumers they’re all the same, but they’re really not, which is why we believe the NBA partnership makes sense,” said Jack Campbell, co-owner, Blanc Vineyards.
“The NBA does an unbelievable job of highlighting their athletes, and we are applying the same strategy to the grape industry. Our Pristine green seedless grapes are bigger, crunchier and tastier. We consider them to be the world champions of the grape industry.
“By putting consumers’ favourite sport or team logo on our packaging we’re able to instantly differentiate our products with a familiar and trusted name when they least expect it. That gives us a huge advantage at points of purchase and again for return sales.”
Campbell said the NBA’s global popularity and diverse fan base made the partnership an ideal way to reach children, parents and millennials.
The NBA licensing agreement isn’t the first for the Campbell’s. Since 2015 the family has entered into licensing agreements with a variety of firms such as The Walt Disney Company to reach new customers.
Blanc Vineyards is a joint venture between Four Star Fruit and Delano Farms that began in 2010. This partnership gives both companies exclusive rights to grow and distribute Pristine variety grapes. The companies sell grapes from May to January and ship a combined 20m cartons annually.
