Talk about a fruitful new product development program. Kraft Foods, Northfield, Ill., is literally adding a fruit component to the company's popular Oscar Mayer Lunchables refrigerated meal kit.

Officials say new Lunchables with Fruit provides a full serving of fruit with DOLE® Mandarin Oranges or Pineapple Tidbits in 100 percent fruit juice in each pack. New fruit options come with one of four varieties:
Peanut Butter + Jelly Sandwich, Turkey +Cheddar Cracker Stacker, Ham + American Cracker Stackers or
Extra Cheesy Pizza. Suggested retail is $2.99 per package.

In conjunction, Kraft is supporting the launch with what's described as its biggest marketing push ever for the 22-year-old Lunchables brand.

The promotional campaign involves:

Lunchables donating up to one million pounds of fresh fruit. Specifically, it will donate the monetary equivalent of a pound of fruit to local food banks.

Kraft says consumers can drive donations by uploading photos on Facebook.com/Lunchables. Every family that uploads a photo and uses the fruit photo app to add an orange smile, pineapple mohawk or pineapple glasses will trigger a 10 pound donation of fresh fruit to Feeding America® (up to one million pounds)

The campaign will kick-off in New York City’s Times Square on May 17, with the first-ever brand coordinated media buy on seven of the most prominent digital video billboards in the area, and a celebrity event with NCIS: Los Angeles star, Chris O’Donnell.

Five interactive digital storefronts with facial-recognition technology in high traffic areas in LA, Chicago and New York will enable consumers to update and share fruit photos (also driving fruit donations)
Print ads in national weekly magazines, including a high-impact six-page insert with a textured orange page in the People Magazine Royal Wedding issue (May 2, 2011).

Still more activities will include a mobile tour with interactive fruit-themed games and photo booth,  a new page on www.facebook.com/lunchables and Twitter handle, @RealLunchables and a "robust" public relations effort with social and traditional media.