JP Fruit is launching a banana campaign with top Olympic oarsman Andy Hodge.
The £5,000 sponsorship deal will see the sportsman pictured on the side of 30 JP lorries and other promotional material and will run at least until the end of 2007. “Bananas are good for you, and no one can argue with that,” said Hodge at the JP Fruit launch event held at the Molesley Boat Club, where he is a member. “Bananas are as easy to pick up as a bar of chocolate, and much better for you. They are very easy to eat and full of potassium, and the skin means that you can eat them anywhere.
“Athletes have to eat about 5,000 calories a day, and bananas are an important part of my diet.”
Hodge has collected numerous awards in recent years, including a gold medal in the 2005 World Championships.
“Every bit of funding that is put into the sport, including the contribution from JP Fruit, is a vital part of growing the sport,” he said. “This will encourage more people to get active.”
JP’s campaign will capitalise on the 5 A DAY campaign and draw attention to healthy eating, said Dickon Poole, company group marketing manager. “This principle is similar to the Banana Group campaigns that used sports personalities including Linford Christie and Tim Henman.
Plans are in place to extend the campaign to include English apple favourite Cox and possibly pears in the autumn, Poole added.
