WENATCHEE, WA - Apples are always on-trend, and shoppers will soon find the need to eat when they see the new campaign and packaging Stemilt is rolling out. The grower unveiled not only its The Great American Rave® Race campaign, but it is also rolling out new EZ Band sustainable packaging for its Rave® and SweeTango apples.

“Rave apples will be more widely available this year, and we’re really trying to elevate the brand through fun and engaging campaign strategies,” explained Brianna Shales, Marketing Director. “We’ve found that hitting the road and helping consumers shop where Rave is available is a great way to help them make a connection with the brand.”

Members from Stemilt Sales and Marketing departments will be running on-site brand activations, offering shoppers at key “pit stops” in Boston, Chicago, and Minneapolis a chance to learn more about the variety while also providing consumer engagement points.

“We will invite shoppers to stop by while we hand out single-serve Rave sample boxes to those who participate in the activities,” said Shales. “Guests will also be encouraged to play a short ‘spin the wheel’ game for a chance to win store gift cards, a Rave branded tote bag, or sticker. It’s all about a ‘race’ to capture the apple during its quick season.”

As noted in the release, Stemilt will garner third-partner endorsements this apple season through media influencer relations to build campaign excitement through targeted outreach partnerships with in-market influencers and its Crisp Collaborators. For shoppers in stores, consumers will find Stemilt’s new sustainable packaging for both its Rave and SweeTango varieties.

“The new EZ Band by Stemilt is an approach to sustainable packaging that we’ve seen in Europe,” explained Shales. “Our EZ band is a two-piece 4 pack of apples that is made of 100 percent paperboard. It has been designated by How2Recycle for recycling at home in recycling containers. Packaged apples have been in high demand over the past two years, and this is a new take on selling larger-sized apples in a package. The EZ Band helps consumers with efficient shopping online or for store staff fulfilling pick-up orders. It requires less labor to merchandise and delivers on convenience attributes that today’s consumers are looking for.”

According to The Food Industry Association, a recent FMI Sustainability in the Food Industry report indicates grocery shoppers have expressed a desire for sustainable packaging made from recyclable materials. Stemilt designed the EZ Band as a sustainable package to be easy on the shopper and the earth. The tray will hold four apples of large size profiles and will be sold off the count, with a UPC on the bottom of the band for easy ringing at the register.

“Not long ago, apple sales were about 80 percent bulk and 20 percent in bags or packaging,” said Shales. “Those numbers started to skew during and after the pandemic, and we’re now seeing about 60 percent of apples sold in bulk and 40 percent in bags. We simply can’t grow fruit sized only for bags, so we zeroed in on working on a package for bulk fruit sizes that would be easier to merchandise for retailers.”

Click here to find more details about the campaign, and click here to learn more about the packaging.

And stay here with ANUK as we report on everything fresh-related.

Stemilt