Disney says goodbye fat, hello fruit
Published:08-June-2006
By BR staff writer
Less than one month after announcing it will end a 10-year promotional tie-up with McDonald's Corporation, Walt Disney Company has signed a deal to license the branding of fresh fruit in Tesco supermarkets in the UK and across Europe.
It is thought that the entertainments company ended its lucrative Happy Meal contract with McDonald's in an effort to distance itself from so-called 'junk food' and escalating rates of childhood obesity.
Shoppers at Tesco, the UK's leading grocery retailer, can now buy Disney-branded satsumas featuring stickers which can be collected in a sticker book. Other branded fruit such as apples and bananas are also thought to be in the pipeline.
"We are trying to develop 'better for you' [food] ranges for kids." Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products, told the Financial Times newspaper.
Disney already licenses baby tomatoes at French retailer Champion, and plans to launch more fresh produce shortly. Mini bananas are on sale in Germany at retailer Metro, and several stone fruit items are reportedly set for release in the US this month.
