NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Stride
gum today announces the latest addition to its lineup – the Shaun
White-inspired, Mintacular! Mintacular, the second
collaboration between Stride and professional
snowboarder/skateboarder and two-time gold-medalist Shaun White, is
available now in stores nationwide. Similar to Whitemint, the first
Stride Shaun White-endorsed product, Shaun was closely
involved in selecting Mintacular's unique minty flavor
profile and cool package design.
To celebrate the launch and give New Yorkers a first taste of
Mintacular, Stride is teaming up with 7-Eleven, Inc.
for a one-day event in the Big Apple. Today, Stride will
take over one 7-Eleven store in an unprecedented event where the
store will ONLY stock both Whitemint and Mintacular! Shaun
White will be at the 7-Eleven store on East 14th Street
between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in New York City to give away samples of the new
gum, interact with consumers and speak with the media.
"7-Eleven stores are known for being among the first to sell
many products popular with convenience-oriented consumers, so for
us to be part of the Stride and Shaun White launch for their
newest flavor, Mintacular, is a bonus for us and our
customers," said Laura Gordon,
7-Eleven, Inc.'s vice president of Brand Innovation. "Today's event
will be a special way to celebrate the opening of our new East
14th Street Manhattan
store."
"It's pretty exciting that we're able to launch a second flavor,
Mintacular," said White. "Stride is a great partner and
working together on both gum flavors has been awesome!"
In the summer of 2011, Stride successfully launched
Whitemint after announcing the multi-year partnership
earlier the same year. The Whitemint launch remains one of
the most successful launches in the history of the Stride
brand.
The Mintacular launch will be supported by a fully
integrated marketing and communications plan including PR,
advertising (TV, online and OOH) and digital support. Stride
launched its Mintacular advertising campaign Aug. 1 in New York
City with a "mystery" billboard that featured only a date –
8.13.12. The image was switched on
Aug. 13 to reveal Shaun White holding
a pack of Mintacular gum with the text: "Stride
Mintacular. Chewing Redefined. Again."
In addition, Stride released a tongue-in-cheek product
demo video to coincide with the reveal billboard and featured the
Mintacular "designers" enthusiastically describing the
"incredible" features of the new gum and packaging. A tactic
normally reserved for high-end tech products, the video furthers
the "A Little Bit Epic" campaign approach and showcases the brand
going out on a limb in a uniquely humorous style that is expected
to attract attention. To view the video, go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-oe9AIYiiU.
"With a confident, courageous attitude and a willingness to put
himself out there every day, Shaun White embodies our 'A Little Bit
Epic' campaign and the Stride brand overall," said
Stephanie Wilkes, VP Marketing
Confectionary, Kraft Foods. "We are also thrilled to partner with
the 7-Eleven team, who allowed us to completely transform their
store into a Stride Mintacular 'paradise' so people
can try Mintacular in a fun, engaging way. Even if you don't
live in New York City, you can try
Mintacular at stores nationwide - a product that we know
will be as successful as our first Shaun White-inspired
product."
Stride Mintacular is available nationally at
convenience stores, mass merchandise stores, drug stores, grocery
stores and other retail outlets for a suggested retail price of
$1.49. For more information, go to
www.StrideGum.com or www.facebook.com/Stride-gum.
About Stride
Stride gum, launched in 2006, is a little pack
of courage that helps consumers fearlessly pursue their most
authentic self. Stride gum, a Kraft Foods brand, offers a
variety of products and flavors including Shaun White
Mintacular and Whitemint, Spark, Winterblue, Sweet
Peppermint, Spearmint, and Tropical Trance. For more
information, visit www.StrideGum.com or
www.facebook.com/Stride-gum.
About Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. (NASDAQ: KFT) is a global snacks
powerhouse with an unrivaled portfolio of brands people love.
Proudly marketing delicious biscuits, confectionery, beverages,
cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in approximately 170
countries, Kraft Foods had 2011 revenue of $54.4 billion. Twelve of the company's iconic
brands – Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House,
Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer,
Philadelphia, Tang and
Trident – generate revenue of more than $1 billion annually. On Aug. 4, 2011, Kraft Foods announced plans to
divide and create two independent public companies: a high-growth
global snacks business and a high-margin North American grocery
business. The transaction is expected to be completed on
Oct. 1, 2012. A leader in innovation,
marketing, health & wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is
a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's
500, NASDAQ 100, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel
Sustainability Index. Visit www.kraftfoodscompany.com and
www.facebook.com/kraftfoodscorporate.
About 7-Eleven
7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the
convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises
or licenses approximately 9,400 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are some 47,300
7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2011, 7-Eleven stores
worldwide generated total sales close to $76.6 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a
number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include:
#2 on Forbes magazine's 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money;
#3 spot on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 list for 2012, #3
in Forbes magazine's Top 20 Franchises to Start, and #2 in
Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies. Hispanic Magazine
named 7-Eleven among its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that
provide the most opportunities to Hispanics. 7-Eleven received the
2010 Retailer of the Year honor from PL Buyer because of the
company's private-label brand initiative. 7-Eleven is franchising
its stores in the U.S. and expanding through organic growth,
acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more
online at www.7-Eleven.com.
SOURCE Stride Gum