Zespri International ropes in Bollywood child actress Harshaali Malhotra as the face of the brand

New Zealand’s Zespri International, the world's largest marketer of Kiwifruit, has just stepped up its India initiatives by signing on child actor Harshaali Malhotra (of Bajrangi Bhaijaan fame) as the face of the brand. In a landmark move, this is will be the first time that a Bollywood face will be seen endorsing the company with the outlook of increasing the vertical growth for the country as a whole.

With a hugely successful season in 2015, Zespri International is now targeting India as one of its key growth markets this year. New Zealand's kiwifruit are flooding into India, with twice as many SunGold and record numbers of Green kiwifruit set to be shipped this season. This year will see an import of around 1.5 million trays of Green kiwifruit and 200,000 trays of SunGold kiwifruit with the season.

Keeping this rapid growth in mind, the company is in the process of creating a multi-media communication campaign with Harshaali Malhotra which will appeal to adults as well as children and highlight the surprising taste of kiwifruit by celebrating the unique way of eating the fruit. Unlike other fruits, which are sliced or eaten whole, kiwifruits are cut into half and then scooped out ​with a spoon.

Zespri’s association with the endearing child actor is to emphasize the right way of eating kiwifruit in a simple 3-part process - Cut, scoop & enjoy! The unique sweet taste of the Zespri Green and SunGold kiwifruits been loved by consumers. The aim is to grow the market with a quirky advertising campaign with Harshaali, which will break across India in June and showcase the fruit in a very different and interesting context.

“Zespri is very excited to associate with Harshaali Malhotra as her sweet and endearing persona fits perfectly with that of our brand. There is much clutter in the fruit market and it is imperative for us to connect with children and parents across the country to emphasize the delicious taste of the Zespri kiwifruits along with their abundant health benefits. This association with Harshaali is a breakthrough for us as it helps to connect with not only the end consumers but also the HORECA segment – making it a dual edged marketing strategy that equally targets distributers and retailers. We hope to grow tremendously and continue to lead the market with bold marketing strategies for both tier 1 and tier 2 cities.” says Zespri® India’s Country Head and Marketing Manager, Ritesh Bhimani.

While fruits form a core part of the average Indian woman's purchase basket, showcasing a positive environment for fruit import, kiwifruit has till now been seen as an exotic indulgence. Zespri aims to change this perception by making kiwifruits more accessible - both from an availability as well as awareness point of view. Imported from New Zealand, these fruits have a unique juicy sweet flavour, which is new to the Indian palate. When eaten at the right time, Zespri Green kiwifruit is deliciously sweet and the Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit, even sweeter, both refreshingly juicy and hence the perfect snack for any season!

Zespri® Kiwifruit can now be purchased at all major retailers.

For more information, follow Zespri® Kiwifruit on Facebook (ZespriIndia), Twitter (@ZespriIndia) or visit https://www.zespriindia.com/