Can you feel it? The needle moving. Momentum shifting. It’s here. It’s happening. And it’s awesome. The fruit and vegetable marketing machine has arrived, and life in the produce world just got really interesting.

We, as an industry, have finally tapped into the magic that has made junk food and soda the kings of center-store. What wins the hearts of kids every day? One word, MARKETING.Todd Putman More pointedly, marketing that’s emotive, fun, relevant, sometimes edgy and undeniably attractive to kids and teens — the very audience that we, the sellers of carrots, apples, zucchini, broccoli, kiwi and kale, have — until now — failed to engage. But no more. With the introduction of two new platforms — Produce Marketing Association’s eat brighter! initiative, featuring "Sesame Street" characters, and the Partnership for a Healthier America’s "FNV" brand — the produce industry is poised to go toe-to-toe with brands peddling foods and beverages that simply can’t hold a candle to the benefits of fresh fruits n’ veggies! And with that, produce will finally become woven into the consumer conversation. Welcome to pop culture, cauliflower.

Now, I’m clearly not suggesting that we turn the produce aisle into just another consumer packaged goods theme park — what I am suggesting is that using smart, targeted and innovative marketing techniques to deeply engage our audiences will result in increased consumption of the good stuff — how can that be a bad thing? It’s not. It’s good for business and good for the nation.

At Bolthouse Farms, we’ve been asking the question for years: why should junk food have all the fun? It shouldn't, and by ripping a page out of their marketing playbook, we produced a bold and irreverent ad campaign — featuring imagery and a brand voice that could’ve promoted fiery nacho cheesy corn chips — to sell our fresh baby carrots. We implored two test markets, with television commercials, mobile games and an interactive web and social media presence, to “Eat ‘Em Like Junk Food.” And guess what? Consumers did eat ‘em like junk food — to the tune of double-digit growth in fresh carrot sales in those markets.

eat brighter! and FNV present similar opportunities industry wide. The drill is pretty straightforward — make spinach, grapes and asparagus relevant to our targeted demographics beyond the tired and — sorry folks — boring “good for you” mantra that, historically, has been the foundation of produce marketing. These two platforms get us there by transforming the cultural context of healthy foods.

Fact: "Sesame Street" is the most co-watched television program in the world. No doubt, leveraging this asset is HUGE for us, and now that Elmo and Abby Cadabby are encouraging 2 to 6-year-olds (and their parents) to eat brighter!, the produce drawer becomes a fun and much-anticipated place to get a snack. Toddlers and young kids will want to eat bananas because Cookie Monster loves them too (the sticker on the peel proves it)! Ah, the wonder of engaging families with fun, healthy marketing messages.

Changing the eating habits of teens is a more difficult task. FNV gets that motor running in a creative way. Each year, “big food” spends billions on truly creative marketing targeted directly at 12 to 18-year-olds, and the return on investment is undeniable. Fast food, junk food and sugary soft drinks have become deeply rooted in their collective psyche. Let’s face it, teenagers respond to Kate Upton provocatively eating a double cheeseburger. Now we have the likes of Jessica Alba, Colin Kaepernick, Nick Jonas and the other celebrities, athletes and beautiful people on our team — #teamFNV will connect this demographic to avocados, cherries, green beans and melons. Over the long-term, we’re sure to see a swing in how teens perceive eating fruits and vegetables, all because of marketing — with a heavy dose of social media — that’s as innovative as the other guys’. At long last, with #teamFNV we’re joining the fight for our kid’s attention.

But wait, don’t eat brighter! and FNV compete with one another? That’s the question frequently being posed to PMA, and the answer is a resounding NO. The fundamental target audiences of the two platforms are vastly different. By definition, the marketing mix required to reach 12 to 18-year-olds (read: personality driven social interaction and out-of-home experiences) is nothing like the methods geared to little ones. We have at our disposal two incredible branded assets that the industry should line up to support.

So, what’s the call to action? First, we’ve got to understand that eat brighter! and FNV aren’t designed to compete with other produce industry marketing campaigns. The goal here is not to do battle with one another, but with center-store marketers. These campaigns are not asking people to buy kale over broccoli or, dare I say, carrots over celery. They are just asking people to pick fruits and veggies over less-healthy food. That’s why it’s time to get those furry characters from Sesame Street working for all of us (royalty-free) in media placements, in in-store signage and on packaging to influence families to eat brighter! (visit pma.com/eatbrighter to learn how). Big Bird hawking peaches, perfect! As for FNV, while PMA works with the PHA to test the platform in Fresno, CA, and Hampton Roads, VA, we need to rev our social media engines to drive awareness. The FNV brand is so cool. Check it out at teamfnv.com.

Todd Putman is the Chief Commercial Officer of Bolthouse Farms, a wholly owned subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company and the premiere grower-producer of fresh carrots in the U.S. Prior to joining Bolthouse, Putman spent over three decades in general management, marketing and innovation roles with powerhouse brands like Procter & Gamble, Walt Disney and The Coca-Cola Co.