‘Compliments Junior Disney puts the fun back into food and takes the guesswork out of shopping,’ says Scott Cooper, VP consumer marketing for corporate brands at Stellarton, NS-based Sobeys, of the co-branded food line that launched yesterday.

The nearly 100 products, which include everything from dried fruit snack mix to Mickey Burgers, Alpha-Taters mashed potato letters and Disney fruit, are aimed at children 3-12, who are good at spying familiar cartoon-character packaging and demanding what’s inside. But they’re sure to also be a hit with nutrition-minded parents. The products contain no artificial flavours, colours or hydrogenated oils, which helped more than 75% of them to qualify for Health Check stamps of approval.

Each product package features a popular Disney character, and most feature Canada’s Food Guide serving information. The packaging also takes the guesswork out of evaluating nutritional information by indicating key positive product attributes through the use of four icons highlighting specific benefits to teeth, bones, eyes or muscles.

Compliments Junior Disney products are now rolling out across Canada at Sobeys, IGA Extra, IGA, Foodland and Price Chopper stores. The line will be available in Quebec at IGA, Marché Bonichoix and Les Marchés Tradition stores later this fall, with the full range of products in stores by January. No other Canadian grocers are slated to carry them, but they are available in the US throughout the Kroger chain.

Vancouver’s Rethink created a 30-second television spot that begins airing on conventional and specialty English channels this week, as well as full-page ads and advertorials in lifestyle and parenting magazines. Carat Canada handled media buys. For Web promotion, interactive firm Trapeze Media (also of Vancouver) developed a dedicated section for the food line on the www.compliments.ca website. To reach core grocery shoppers, i.e., mothers, Sobey’s free in-store magazine, Inspired, has begun featuring the new food line in double-page spreads.