World Cup promotion for Fruit & Veg City

South African food retailer Fruit & Veg City has launched a major new media advertising campaign ahead of the start of the World Cup as it bids to capitalise on increased consumer activity during the course of the tournament.

Centred around a newly revamped brand, the campaign involves television and radio advertisements, as well as in-store and point of sale displays, and is aimed at cementing the group's position as the country's leading fresh produce chain in terms of value for money and product quality.

The television commercial – the first in the company's history to focus exclusively on its Fruit & Veg City brand – is based on the idea that many farmers in the Fruit & Veg City network still deliver their fresh produce straight to the company's stores around South Africa, something regarded as quite rare in the country's modern-day retail sector.

In that regard, Fruit & Veg City stores are deliberately reminiscent of traditional farmers' markets, where growers deliver their goods straight to the public at wholesale prices.

The campaign slogan, 'Real market, real fresh, real value', has been chosen to highlight Fruit & Veg City's core values of honesty, integrity, freshness and good old-fashioned value for money, the group explained.

Along with exposure on television, Fruit & Veg City will also be placing advertisements in magazines such as Rooi Rose, Your Family, Women & Home and Food & Home to build awareness of its brand.

According to the company's directors, generating interest in the company should help sustain recent growth in sales.

"In the tough economic times that we are facing at the moment, Fruit & Veg City's turnover has increased considerably, a clear indication that consumers already regard the stores as good value-for-money destinations," said Brian Coppin, CEO and founding member of Fruit & Veg City.

"So while other bigger retailers are struggling with the current economic climate, Fruit & Veg City is quietly entrenching its position in the market."

Mr Coppin added: "With things the way they are at the moment, we thought this to be the perfect opportunity to remind South African consumers about Fruit & Veg City's commitment to selling fresh products at the best possible price."

Fruit & Veg City was founded in 1993 by brothers Brian and Mike Coppin, and its network has since grown to encompass more than a hundred stores nationwide.