Bobby Banana and Pinellopy Pineapple lead Dole’s back-to-school push

Dole Food Co. is calling upon its top banana and pineapple to help families jump into the back-to-school routine in a fun way.

Bobby Banana and Pinellopy Pineapple, Dole’s healthy-living mascots, are the focus of an eight-week initiative featuring produce-rich recipe ideas, serving suggestions, expert information, digital downloads, character merchandise, and in-store and at-home resources for the back-to-school season, according to a news release.

Kicking off the last week of July, “Back to School with Bobby Banana” continues through Sept. 15 with free assets and activities designed to inspire kids and families of all configurations to embrace a healthy fall routine that is fun, fruitful and full of character, the release said.

“It’s no secret that after the relaxed days of summer, a return to school, sports, early-morning wakeup calls and weekly activities can be frantic for any family,” Bil Goldfield, director of corporate communications for Dole Food Co., said in the release. “This year, we’re out to help make this shift smoother by providing parents a usable toolkit to create their own healthy, happy household schedule for the fall.”

A set of seven collectible Dole banana stickers and Dole pineapple tags, featuring Bobby Banana and Pinellopy Pineapple on tens of millions of pieces of freshly harvested Dole fruit, will welcome shoppers to the produce section of supermarkets across North America.

Included in the sticker set is a QR code that leads back to the promotional landing page offering kid-friendly recipes, back-to-school-themed wearables and gear from the Dole Shop, and digital downloads and printable activities including Bobby’s Wake Up! Weekdays School Spotify Mix, Bobby Banana and Pinellopy Pineapple Peel-and-Play Banana Sticker Sheets and create-your-own Lunchbox Weekly Menu Planner, Bento Banter Lunchbox Jokes & Facts, Lunchbox Affirmation Notes and a First/Last Day of School Photo Sign, the release said.

Dole is also working with its retailer partners to showcase the collectible banana stickers and pineapple tags with in-store signage to create added excitement at the shopper level. The company is collaborating with bloggers and social influencers who can share the healthy fall eating message and resources with their followers, according to the release.

For added encouragement, registered dietitian Melanie Marcus, Dole’s nutrition and health communications manager, has selected 15 nutritious-but-fun breakfast, lunch, snack and after-school recipes from the Dole on-site recipe library that both kids and their parents can agree on, the release said.

For more information, visit the Back to School with Bobby Banana page.