Frozen Snack Brand Targets Tweens with National Sweepstakes, Skateboarder
Tony Hawk and ESPN Winter X Games Sponsorship
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 11, 2000 /PRNewswire/ -- X marks the spot as the makers
of Bagel Bites(R) are giving away trips to the coolest alternative sports
competition in the world -- the 2000 ESPN X Games in San Francisco, Calif.
Bagel Bites, the popular bite-sized frozen pizza snack, is offering the
trips to eight lucky winners in the Bagel Bites X Games Sweepstakes to promote
its sponsorship of the 2000 ESPN Winter X Games in Mount Snow, Vt.,
February 3-6. The ESPN Winter X Games feature many of the world's best
"alternative" athletes in sports ranging from snowboarding to snow mountain
bike racing.
As part of the promotion, Tony Hawk, the world's premier skateboarder and
X Games legend, has agreed to become the Bagel Bites spokesperson. Hawk will
be the focus of a national radio tour in January to promote the sponsorship
and sweepstakes. He also will give away free prizes, including one free
X Games snowboard a day at the Bagel Bites tent on-site at the X Games.
"Extreme sports are booming in popularity among `tweens' because they are
an exciting alternative to traditional sports," said Richard Yoder, Senior
Product Manager, Bagel Bites. "We feel our involvement with the Winter X
Games and our partnership with Tony Hawk strengthens Bagel Bites' position as
the cool snack food of choice for tweens."
"Kids really seem to connect with alternative sports," said Tony Hawk.
"I'm glad to see a great brand like Bagel Bites associating themselves with
the X Games. Cool sports and cool snacks - it's an ideal combination."
Yoder said Bagel Bites chose to become a sponsor of the 2000 ESPN Winter X
Games because the brand is aggressively targeting tweens - children between
the ages of 11 to 15 - to boost sales growth. The current U.S. tween
population of about 27 million is the fastest growing demographic segment in
the country. As a group, tweens spend $5.2 billion each year on after-school
snacks.
To promote both the sweepstakes and the prizes, Bagel Bites will launch a
national advertising campaign that includes banner advertising on the ESPN
Winter X Games site on ESPN.com, as well as television commercials on networks
that focus on sports and tweens. The brand also will be conducting Web
marketing efforts, as well as radio promotion. The efforts are the result of
Bagel Bites' strategy of talking directly to tween consumers.
"Bagel Bites has enjoyed average annual sales growth of 12% in the last
two years," Yoder said. "Combining the anticipated growth in the tween
demographic with the overall increase in category sales, we expect to see
continued strong growth in the future."
Although Bagel Bites is targeting tweens, consumers of all ages are
eligible to enter the national sweepstakes. Sweepstakes entrants are eligible
to win one of eight trips for four to the ESPN X Games in San Francisco,
Calif. Thousands of other prizes will also be up for grabs, including
snowboards, X Games merchandise and free Bagel Bites.
Sweepstakes Entry
Entering the sweepstakes is easy. From December 15, 1999 to April 15,
2000, consumers can enter the Bagel Bites/X Games sweepstakes one of two ways:
-- Online at http://www.bagelbites.com; or
-- Via mail by submitting the entry form on tear-pads in supermarket
displays.
There is no purchase necessary and the sweepstakes is open to all legal
U.S. residents. To enter without an entry form, hand print your name,
complete address, age (optional) and daytime phone number on a 3" by 5" piece
of paper and mail to: Heinz Bagel Bites "Win a Trip to the 2000 ESPN X Games"
Sweepstakes, P.O. Box 7940, Clinton, IA 52736-7940. The contest ends on
4/15/00. For Official Rules, go to http://www.bagelbites.com.
Bagel Bites, a leading, bite-sized frozen pizza snack, is one of a diverse
group of frozen food brands under the umbrella of the Heinz Frozen Food
Company, an affiliate of the H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE: HNZ). Among the
company's famous brands are Ore-Ida, Smart Ones, Budget Gourmet, Boston Market
Homestyle Meals, Rosetto, Linda McCartney and San Marco.
SOURCE Heinz Frozen Food Company
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Related links:
http://www.bagelbites.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/575757.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 575757
CONTACT:
Robin Teets of Ketchum, 412-456-3731, or
robin.teets@ketchum.com, for Heinz Frozen Food Company
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