McLean, Va. – Looking for a creative tool to market apples during the holidays? Check out the U.S. Apple Association's (USApple) 2001 "Apples for Santa" promotion.

USApple's Santa promotion encourages children to leave apples for Santa rather than a fattening sweet, for his better health. An innovative mix of product marketing and nutrition education, this promotion provides an attention-getting vehicle to sell more apples throughout the winter holidays – and highlights apples' healthy image in the process.

Consumer Survey: Apples, Instead
Want to score points with Santa Claus this year? Then bypass the brownies and leave the Jolly Old Elf healthy, delicious apples instead, say Santa's helpers.
According to a nationwide survey commissioned by USApple of 1,000 of Santa's "helpers" – moms and dads across the country, that is – an overwhelming majority thinks it is better to leave Santa an apple on Christmas Eve. Of those surveyed, 89 percent agreed leaving Santa an apple was better for his health than some of the usual alternatives, such as chocolate chip cookies. Generously, 44 percent of Santa's helpers recommended leaving at least 10 apples for him to share with his reindeer, elves, and Mrs. Claus back at the North Pole.

To encourage consumers to join in the new, healthy holiday tradition of leaving an apple for Santa, USApple began reaching out to food and health consumer media earlier this year. New this year, USApple's press materials also encourage consumers to leave Santa a refreshing glass of 100% apple juice or cider, allowing Santa to score both his recommended fruit servings on his way to "5 A Day."

USApple is also promoting "Apples for Santa" to more than 2,500 health educators, as a model healthy holiday nutrition education program. In fact, this light-hearted campaign has a serious nutrition message at its core. Earlier this year, USApple's 2000 Santa media campaign received a National Excellence Award for excellence in 5 A Day communications from the Produce for Better Health Foundation. Central to USApple's campaign are the SANTA Healthful Holiday Eating Guidelines, five 5 A Day-centered tips for healthy eating during the holidays and all year long.

Toolkit CD Available
To encourage USApple members to conduct their own Santa promotions, USApple has developed a promotional toolkit on compact disk. The toolkit provides all the resources needed, including news copy, photography, audio soundbites and children's activity page artwork – and is available free of charge to USApple members.

"This is a campaign everyone can do, big or small, wholesaler or direct marketer," said USApple Public Relations Vice President Julia Daly. "It works in-store, in the media, in the classroom and in the community."

Daly noted that several of the industry's leading marketers have already tailored the Santa program for their own use this year. The Washington Apple Commission and the New York Apple Association, for example, both developed fun, attractive point-of-sale promotions. The Ohio Apple Marketing Program, working with a smaller budget, smartly customized USApple materials to promote Ohio apples for Santa to in-state media.

"We encourage every industry member to jump on Santa's sleigh with us!" Daly said.

Note: Click here to download supporting photography.

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state apple associations representing 9,000 apple growers throughout the country, as well as nearly 500 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple’s mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in appropriate collective efforts to profitably produce and market apples and apple products.