BRENTWOOD, MO - While October does mean the start of spooky season—one of my favorite times of the year—it unfortunately also means the end of the National Fruits & Veggies Month (NFVM) campaign from Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH). The third annual campaign wrapped at the end of September, and this year saw great success, as the month-long extravaganza featuring fun content from PBH’s Have A Plant® Ambassadors garnered almost 135 million impressions through social media channels.

“The results from PBH’s 2021 NFVM campaign show the profound impact the Have A Plant® Movement has on helping to inspire people worldwide to eat more plant-packed meals while also celebrating unique fruits and vegetables across many cultures,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, and President and Chief Executive Officer of PBH. “Thanks to the support of our dedicated members and rockstar Have A Plant Ambassadors, we were able to shine a spotlight on the importance of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, all while having fun and literally singing from the rooftops about our love for eating more plants with fun show-stopping tunes.”

The theme of this year’s NFVM was Have A Plant Goes Global, and continued the momentum from The United Nations General Assembly, which designated 2021 the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. According to a press release, throughout the month of September, PBH featured plant-packed social content that was supported by innovative digital and social activities like its viral “bowls around the world” video showcasing Have A Plant Ambassadors and partnerships with organizations like The National Watermelon Promotion Board, amongst others.

Results of the campaign include:

• 84.4 million impressions across 124 outlets from consumer-facing media NFVM wire release announcing campaign launch
• 210,000 impressions from earned consumer and industry trade press media coverage
• 32 million impressions from a satellite media tour featuring PBH President and CEO, Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN
• 14.6 million potential impressions from thousands of social posts using #haveaplant, #haveaplantpledge, and #NFVM2021
• Nearly 2.5 million impressions from hundreds of social posts across PBH channels, including posts from PBH members and PBH Have A Plant Ambassadors
• 45,000 potential reach from two PBH Have A Plant Cook Alongs, hosted by PBH Have A Plant Ambassadors, Dayle Hayes and Abbie Gellman, as well as a Facebook live with PBH Have A Plant Ambassador Manuel Villacorta

Rounding out the celebration, PBH hosted an invitation-only Have A Plant Nation Virtual Ambassador Event. The exclusive, two-day experience held interactive sessions on a variety of topics from sustainability to family farms, as well as tasting experiences and education sessions.

Only 11 more months until the next National Fruits & Veggies Month, and I will be counting down the days!

Produce for Better Health Foundation