Dive Brief:

• B&G Foods packaged vegetable brand Green Giant is celebrating Valentine's Day by partnering with dating site FarmersOnly.com to give farmers and vegetable lovers a week of free premium access, according to a press release. 
• The Jolly Green Giant, the brand's iconic mascot, created his own dating profile on the site seeking a mate who will "love him as much as much as he loves his greens." The mascot notes that "The first thing you might notice about me is my height" and lists his body type as "Like lettuce, I’m shredded."
• FarmersOnly is offering a free week of premium membership to all new members on Feb. 14 using the promo code "GreenGiant." 

Dive Insight:

Green Giant is leveraging its iconic mascot in a humorous way to celebrate Valentine's Day and support farmers. The Jolly Green Giant's dating profile should help the packaged vegetables brand boost brand awareness and social media traffic, and stand out with younger consumers, who tend to eat healthier foods, but have shown little interest in packaged products.

Teaming up with dating sites is a trend more brands are using to connect with millennials, who reportedly spend 10 hours a week on dating apps, according to survey by dating app Badoo. The Green Giant campaign follows a recent Hardee's partnership with dating app Tinder, giving users a buy-one-get-one-free offer when they "swipe right" and match with the fast food chain's "resident bachelor" Chris P.

By helping farmers find love this Valentine’s Day, Green Giant is spotlighting the "down-to-earth values" of the people who grow the food supply, another feature that should resonate with millennials, as the generation cares more about where their food comes from than other age groups. Other fruit and vegetable brands have taken a similar approach. Del Monte Foods recently launched "Growers of Good," a campaign showcasing the brand's relationships with farmers, communities and people. Welch's also unveiled "Tough as Grapes," a campaign telling the story of how its grape juice is made and targeting Gen X men.

The brand has leveraged humor and nostalgia in past campaigns featuring the Jolly Green Giant. In 2017, the brand debuted two new spots, "What Did He Learn" and "Snow Angel," focusing on how busy families can enjoy weeknight healthy meals. Green Giant has also rolled out new products, like cauliflower pizza crust and riced vegetables, aimed at reaching millennials. Green Giant frozen sales increased 14% for Q3 2018, while parent company B&G Foods missed net sales expectations.