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The Spanish Interprofessional organization of olive oil has recently commenced a campaign in 1,500 Spanish bakeries as part of its European program for promotion of olive oil. The campaign, which was launched last Wednesday, has the objective of reaching over one million people both in Spain and in throughout Europe.
The bakery campaign will last for two months and will take place in twenty-one Spanish cities with over 50,000 inhabitants, including Barcelona, Tarragona, Valladolid, Bilbao, Girona, Oviedo and Santander. As bread and olive oil go hand in hand as part of a Mediterranean diet, bakeries were deemed appropriate partners for promotion.
Consumers will have the opportunity to enter to win one of 100 supplies of olive oil for a year, in addition to books about olive oil. This prize drawing is a new addition to the campaign, although promotion on paper bags, posters and pamphlets in bakeries has been used in previous campaigns.
The competition will be open from April 25th until June 30th and can be entered via SMS, mail, or the website for European olive oil promotion. The campaign will also involve workshops, cooking, storytelling and a wide range of merchandise on offer to participants.
The European campaign tour, which started in October 2009, will reach Paris by June 8. In this area the promotion will be focused on the health benefits of olive oil and its diverse uses. The slogan “Everything improves with olive oil, including you” will be the promotional message of this section of the tour. After this the tour will move to the UK to participate in the “Taste of London” and “Taste of Edinburgh” events.
During the route through France and the UK, books will be distributed and drawings for trips to olive oil producing regions will be held. An internet space will also be set up for more in-depth information.
The organization has also announced that it is working on the production of a children’s television series, due to air in 2013 , in collaboration with the production “Lazy Town.” It is hoped that the series, which will feature both actors and puppets, will not only be seen by Spanish viewers, but also by those in other European countries.
Organization manager for the Interprofessional, Theresa Perez, has suggested that future promotions will be focused on a reduced number of countries, most likely Chinese and US markets, but that campaigns would have a greater intensity.
The 2012 campaign as a whole has a cost of about 5 million Euros, of which initiatives in Spain receive more than 40 percent.