Smucker Expands Number of Brands Participating in Team USA Partnership; Announces Partner Athletes

ORRVILLE, Ohio, Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) announced its expanded plans today to support Team USA athletes as they prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

Smucker has been an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams since 2013 with its Folgers®, Smucker's®, Jif®, and Smucker's® Uncrustables® brands leading the partnership. Those brands are now joined by the Milk-Bone® and Sahale Snacks® brands to drive additional support for Team USA athletes.

"Our employees are incredibly excited to support Team USA athletes again in their quest to represent our country on the world's biggest stage," said Tamara Fynan, Vice President of Marketing Services for The J.M. Smucker Company. "We are particularly excited about the ability of our Milk-Bone® and Sahale Snacks® brands to add new dimensions to how we support Team USA. Both brands have incredibly loyal consumers that are inspired by the dedication and perseverance each Olympic hopeful demonstrates."

The six brands will leverage a mix of marketing and communications elements to convey their support for Team USA including TV and digital advertising, custom packaging, retail promotions, and athlete partnerships.

In addition to financially supporting the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, Smucker will continue to provide a variety of products to each of the U.S. Olympic Training Centers and other team facilities, including those in PyeongChang. These products will be available to athletes and coaches as snacks and be incorporated into each venue's unique daily menus.  

For the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, Smucker brands will be partnering with 10 athletes:

Meryl Davis
Born in Royal Oak, Michigan, Davis and partner Charlie White were the 2014 Olympic Champions in ice dancing. The pair are the most decorated ice dancers in United States history becoming the first American ice dancers to win a World Championship title as well as the first Americans to win the Olympic ice dancing gold medal. Davis is partnering with the Smucker's®, Jif®, and Smucker's® Uncrustables® brands.

Jessie Diggins
Born in Afton, Minnesota, Diggins is a cross-country skier hoping to make her second Olympic Winter Games team. She is a six-time National Champion and five-time World Cup gold medalist. Diggins, and her Brittany spaniel, Leo, are partnering with the Milk-Bone® and Folgers® brands.

Gracie Gold
Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Gold continues to be an ambassador for the Smucker's®, Jif®, and Smucker's® Uncrustables® brands during her time away from competition. At the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, she earned a bronze medal in the figure skating team event and placed fourth in the individual competition. Gold is also a two-time U.S. Champion (2014, 2016). 

Hailey Langland
Born in San Clemente, California, Langland is a snowboarder hoping to compete in her first Olympic Games. Earlier this year, she took gold in Big Air at the Winter X Games. Langland, and her husky, Denver, are partnering with the Sahale Snacks® and Milk-Bone® brands.

Ted Ligety
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ligety is an alpine ski racer working to compete in his fourth Olympic Winter Games. He earned gold medals at the Tornio 2006 and Sochi 2014 Games. Ligety is partnering with the Folgers®, Smucker's®, Jif®, and Smucker's® Uncrustables® brands.

Maia and Alex Shibutani
Born in New York City and Boston, respectively, these siblings are ice dancing champions hoping to compete in their second Olympic Winter Games. They have medaled three times at the World Championships (2011, 2016, 2017) and are two-time U.S. Champions (2016, 2017). Maia and Alex, along with their Malteses, Lily and Po, are partnering with the Milk-Bone® brand.

Evan Strong
Born in San Francisco, Strong is a para-snowboard cross racer working to compete in his second Paralympic Winter Games. He took home gold at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Strong is partnering with the Folgers®, Smucker's®, Jif®, and Smucker's® Uncrustables® brands.

McRae Williams
Born in Park City, Utah, Williams is a slopestyle skier hoping to compete in his first Olympic Winter Games. Earlier this year, he took gold at the Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships. Williams is partnering with the Smucker's®, Jif®, Sahale Snacks®, and Smucker's® Uncrustables® brands. 

Torin Yater-Wallace
Born in Aspen, Colorado, Yater-Wallace is a halfpipe skier working to compete in his second Olympic Winter Games. He was part of the U.S. squad that competed in the inaugural Olympic halfpipe event in 2014. Yater-Wallace is partnering with the Smucker's®, Jif®, Sahale Snacks®, and Smucker's® Uncrustables® brands.

Smucker is also a presenting sponsor of the United States Olympic Committee's official Team USA app, which features exclusive Team USA content and the latest news, features, photos, and videos of Team USA. The app can be downloaded in the respective app store of each major operating system.

For more news and information about the Company's support of Team USA, please follow it on LinkedIn.

About The J.M. Smucker Company
For 120 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that bring families together to share memorable meals and moments. Today, Smucker is a leading marketer and manufacturer of consumer food and beverage products and pet food and pet snacks in North America. In consumer foods and beverages, its brands include Smucker's^®, Folgers^®, Jif^®, Dunkin' Donuts^®, Crisco^®, Pillsbury^®, R.W. Knudsen Family^®, Hungry Jack^®, Café Bustelo^®, Martha White^®, truRoots^®, Sahale Snacks^®, Robin Hood^®, and Bick's^®. In pet food and pet snacks, its brands include Meow Mix^®, Milk-Bone^®, Kibbles 'n Bits^®, Natural Balance^®, and 9Lives^®. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth, and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. For more information about the Company, visit jmsmucker.com.

The J.M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for the following, which are used under license: Pillsbury^® is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC and Dunkin' Donuts^® is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder LLC.  

Dunkin' Donuts^® brand is licensed to The J.M. Smucker Company for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and drug stores. This information does not pertain to Dunkin' Donuts^® coffee or other products for sale in Dunkin' Donuts^® restaurants.

SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Company

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