Mott's Increases Focus on Children's Health With All-New Mott's Medleys Juice and the Launch of KaBOOM! Play Days

PLANO, Texas, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- As the nation's leading apple juice and apple sauce brand, Mott's knows that it's not always easy to get kids to eat healthy.  That's why Mott's has created Mott's Medleys Juice – which looks and tastes like the juice kids love, but has two total fruit and veggie servings* in every eight-ounce glass.  And, in a continued commitment to healthy and active lifestyles, Mott's is partnering with Emmy-nominated actress and dedicated mother, Marcia Cross, and nonprofit KaBOOM! to launch a nationwide program, "KaBOOM! Play Days," to encourage communities to come together for fun activities and to improve local parks and playgrounds.

"As a mother, sometimes you have to sneak in things that are good for your kids – like vegetables and exercise.  I am excited to be working with Mott's again to help improve the health and wellness of American families through the launch of new Mott's Medleys Juice and KaBOOM! Play Days presented by Mott's," said Cross.

The Magic of Mott's Medleys

Next month, Mott's will unveil its latest television and print campaign featuring Cross.  The television spot will introduce all-new Mott's Medleys Juice.  In the ad, Cross will share a little secret with moms – new Mott's Medleys has two total fruit and veggie servings "magically hidden" in every eight-ounce glass.  Mott's print ads will feature the brand's partnership with KaBOOM! and encourage consumers to visit kaboom.org to support the organization's efforts locally.

Mott's Medleys Juice comes in three great tasting flavors, Apple, Grape and Tropical.  In addition to providing two total servings of fruit and veggies in every eight-ounce glass, Mott's Medleys Juice delivers 100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C, and is also a good source of Vitamin E and Magnesium.

Partnering with KaBOOM! for Children's Health

Mott's and Cross are working with KaBOOM! to show that playing is a great way to incorporate exercise into kids' daily lives. KaBOOM! is the national nonprofit dedicated to saving play.  Play is critical to children's health, but it's disappearing from their lives at an alarming rate.  To bring play back into the lives of children, KaBOOM leads playground builds and hosts programs such as KaBOOM! Play Days presented by Mott's, which invites communities to enjoy fun games and activities together as they improve their local parks and playgrounds.  

"The mission behind Mott's Medleys and its partnership with KaBOOM! is to make nutritional and physical wellness easier and more fun," said Allison Methvin, director of marketing for Mott's. "We are pleased to have the support and advocacy of Marcia Cross as we work with KaBOOM! to take these important steps toward improving the health of families across America."

Research backs up the importance of play.  The American Academy of Pediatrics says that play helps kids get healthier, perform better in school and learn better social skills.  But according to a KaBOOM!/ Harris poll, almost 60 percent of kids don't have a playground within walking distance of their home – a number that goes up to almost 70 percent in lower-income areas.  This lack of playgrounds makes it hard for children to get the play they need to be active and healthy.

To help address this play deficit in children's lives, Mott's is presenting KaBOOM! Play Days, a nationwide call for neighborhood events that get families active and healthy outside.  Taking place from September 18 – September 26, 2010, KaBOOM! Play Days give communities a chance to gather outside for fun games and helpful improvement projects to make the whole neighborhood more playful.  Ideas for customizing KaBOOM! Play Day events can be found online at www.kaboom.org/playday.  By hosting a KaBOOM! Play Day, communities will also have the chance to win thousands of dollars in grants to improve their local park or playground.  Mott's is also joining an effort spearheaded by the brand's parent company, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, to build 10 KaBOOM! playgrounds across the United States in 2010.

"KaBOOM! is dedicated to making children healthier by creating great places to play.  Last year, more than 1,200 communities worldwide celebrated KaBOOM! Play Days," said Jim Hunn, vice president of marketing for KaBOOM! "Hosting a Play Day is easy, and it's fun for the whole family and the entire community.  It's a great chance to bring the community together to support and improve local parks and playgrounds, which gives kids a great place to play every day."

For more information about Mott's Medleys, as well as the brand's commitment to healthy and active lifestyles and its partnership with KaBOOM!, visit Motts.com.

*Provides 2 total fruit and vegetable servings per 8 fl oz.  Per MyPyramid, 1 serving = 1/2 cup.  USDA 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend a daily intake of 2 cups of fruit (up to 2/3 cup from fruit juice) and 2-1/2 cups vegetables for a 2,000 calorie diet.

About Mott's

Mott's, a brand of Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS), is the nation's leading producer of branded apple sauce and apple juice.  Since 1842, Mott's has proudly created delicious and healthy products for adults and children. Mott's continues to provide "simple solutions" for health and snacking to meet the needs of today's busy families.  Mott's products include a variety of juice and sauce offerings like Mott's Plus, Mott's Natural, Mott's Medleys juices and Mott's for Tots juices.  DPS is the leader in flavored beverages, marketing Mott's and 50 other beverage brands throughout North America.  More information can be found at www.Motts.com or at www.drpeppersnapple.com.

About KaBOOM!

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play. Through community building, the company is focused on giving every child in America a great place to play within walking distance. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,700 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers – a national network of individual advocates for play. KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

SOURCE Mott's