NABISCO USING HEALTHY CHOICE NAME
By Adnews Staff
U.S.-based RJR Nabisco has licensed the name Healthy Choice from another U.S. firm, ConAgra, to market a line of low-fat cookies and snacks. The treats will be available in the U.S. next year, but there are no plans on bringing them to Canada, Nabisco's Canadian public relations director Sara Feldman told Adnews this week. Hunt-Wesson Canada of Toronto markets Healthy Choice products in Canada. Under the licensing deal, Nabisco will market the new line, but ConAgra will have final approval of any campaigns. The packages for the new Healthy Choice cookies won't carry the Nabisco name. Campbell Mithun Esty of Minneapolis will create advertising for the snacks. It already does advertising for Healthy Choice frozen dinners, luncheon meats and other products. Nabisco's health-oriented lineup already includes reduced-fat Chips Ahoy! and Oreos and Fat Free Newtons, as well as the $500 million(US) Snackwell's brand. Reduced fat cookies and crackers generated $800 million of Nabisco Buscuit Co.'s $3 billion sales in 1994. ConAgra has also licensed the Healthy Choice name to Kellogg Co., but gave the cereal marketer more control over the product. The Kellogg brand appears on Healthy choice cereal, and the advertising is done by Kellogg agency Leo Burnett USA of Chicago.