Ocean Spray’s Big Guys Boast Berry’s Benefits Straight from the Bog

LAKEVILLE, Mass. & MIDDLEBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This holiday season, as consumers prepare to sink their teeth into more than 80 million pounds of cranberries, Ocean Spray is reminding Americans that cranberries not only taste good but, more importantly, are good for them. And the cooperative is bringing in a few heavy hitters to spread the word. In an exclusive, never-before-seen online video, Ocean Spray’s Chief Executive Officer Randy Papadellis and the brand’s comical grower duo banter about the berry’s whole-body health benefits.

“While cranberries are naturally low in sugar and need to be sweetened to be enjoyed, they are packed with nutrients and offer well-documented health benefits”

The online video, in keeping with the good-humored ad campaign, builds on the tremendous success Ocean Spray has had with its latest TV ad campaign, which tops the list of Nielson’s leading CPG TV ads of 2012. Now, the characters are being called on to educate consumers about the cranberry’s healthy halo and to urge consumers to sign an online petition at www.cranberryhealth.com recognizing the cranberry’s exceptional health benefits.

The partnership is one of the latest initiatives the cooperative is employing to educate the public about the cranberry and falls on the heels of nearly a half dozen newly published studies that provide further evidence of the cranberry’s role in supporting whole-body health, particularly urinary tract and heart health.

“Lately, there’s been a lot of mixed messages about whether the cranberry has a place in a healthy diet,” said Papadellis. “So we called on a few of our friends to help remind consumers that cranberry products, particularly cranberry juice, can be an important part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.”

Whole-Body Health Benefits of Cranberries

Recent studies were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine and The Journal of Urology (Official Journal of the American Urological Association) as well as presented at the American Heart Association’s Council for High Blood Pressure Research Scientific Sessions and, more recently, at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in Los Angeles.

“While cranberries are naturally low in sugar and need to be sweetened to be enjoyed, they are packed with nutrients and offer well-documented health benefits," said Connie Diekman, MEd, RD, LD, FADA, past president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly the American Dietetic Association. “They can also help to fill the nutrition gap for many Americans who have trouble meeting the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.”

CranberryHealth.com

Consumers interested in viewing the abstracts online, signing the petition, or learning more about the cranberry and the families who grow them, are invited to visit www.cranberryhealth.com and continue the conversation online on Facebook or Twitter.

For tips, recipes and simple ideas for incorporating cranberries into holiday meals, visit the Ocean Spray Kitchen at www.oceanspray.com or on Facebook or Pinterest.

About Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and other parts of Canada as well as 35 Florida grapefruit growers. Ocean Spray was formed over 80 years ago by three cranberry growers from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Florida grapefruit growers joined the Cooperative in 1976. Ocean Spray is North America’s leading producer of bottled juices and juice drinks, and has been the best-selling brand name in the bottled juice category since 1981. Ocean Spray posted fiscal 2011 gross sales of $2.1 billion and net proceeds of $321 million.