*The V8 brand is updating its classic 'Could've Had A V8' advertising campaign with a new twist to motivate people to get more vegetables in their diets. * 'Long Live Vegetables' features real people, over the age of 60, who all have two things in common – they're extraordinarily active for their age, and they drink V8 100% vegetable juice nearly every day. In the ads, an 83-year-old competitive water skier, 66-year-old wingsuit flyer and 67-year-old stunt car driver are seen in action, but their ages aren't obvious. As the ads play out, the truth is revealed, creating a 'wow' moment for viewers. The spots end with: "'Could've had a V8', she/he just did." This is the first time the V8 brand has used real people in its advertising, as opposed to actors. Senior Brand Manager Greg Dolan said the idea of using 'super seniors' was born out of the brand's mission to help nourish people's lives and motivate them to get more vegetables every day, as part of a healthy, active lifestyle. "For most people, the expectation is that getting older means slowing down," said Dolan. "We took a different approach with 'Long Live Vegetables' by using real people's extraordinary stories as inspiration for everyone to live life to the fullest, no matter what their age." In fact, the casting call specifically sought adults over the age of 60 who engaged in strenuous activity, had a youthful vibrancy and would be seen as everyday heroes to typical people. And, of course, they had to be regular V8 drinkers. One of the people selected for the ads, 83-year-old Frances Woofenden of West Palm Beach, Florida, said she hopes this campaign excites people to try new things, including getting more vegetables in their diets. "When I heard about the search for people to star in the 'Long Live Vegetables' campaign, I was excited to try out. I love V8, and I want to help educate others about how easy and important it is to get more vegetables in your diet," said Woofenden. "Eating healthy and getting regular exercise have been key factors in my ability to competitively water ski at the age of 83, and if I can do it, I believe others can too." In addition to the three television commercials, the 'Long Live Vegetables' campaign also includes four print ads that feature two other personalities, Dr. Sherman Bull, the oldest person to summit Mt. Everest at the age of 64 and Joyce Gladstone, 75, winner of the senior karate board-breaking championship. The campaign, created by Young & Rubicam, New York, will run on television, in print publications and online starting in November.

*Cumberland Packing Corp is launching a 100% natural, zero-calorie sweetener in a green packet called Stevia Extract In The Raw. * Already available in national supermarket chains such as Meijers, A&P and many others, high consumer interest has resulted in exceptional, early sales. Relatively new to American consumers, stevia extract is derived from the leafy green foliage of the stevia plant, native to South America, and used indigenously as a sweetener for over 400 years. It has also been vastly popular in Japan for over 30 years and commands just over 40% of the sugar substitute market there. What's different now is the new extract is 99% pure, meaning the previous licorice like aftertaste associated with its predecessors has all but been eliminated. All that's left is the natural sweetness of the Stevia leaf without any calories. "Stevia Extract In The Raw is only the second addition to what we hope will be a growing 'In The Raw' family of products," explained Jeff Eisenstadt, President and CEO of Cumberland Packing Corp. "Like our 'Sugar In The Raw' flagship brand did 20 years ago, Stevia In The Raw is breaking new ground in the natural foods market as a cutting edge, 100% natural sweetener. Our 'In The Raw' customers can now enjoy two of the best natural sweeteners on the market." Jeff continued, "We're using the term 'Get Raw' to describe a new state of mind already very prevalent with our customer base. 'Getting Raw' means getting natural – getting back to basics and doing the right thing for your body, the environment and the people around you. It's a powerful idea that we hope to incorporate with charitable programs that will make a difference in this regard."

The new site is designed to 'showcase the brand’s unique contribution to Australia’s diverse food and beverage culture'. As well as listing the full range of Schweppes mixers, cordials, traditional soft drinks and mineral water, the site features reviews of leading restaurants, cafés, bars and nightspots across the country, and offers complimentary beverage and meal vouchers. The company says proudly: “From iconic outback pubs to hidden inner city bars and restaurants, Schweppes have gone out of their way to reveal the diverse skills, cultures, and personalities that sustain Australia’s outstanding food and beverage culture. “One-on-one interviews with top Australian chefs, baristas, and restaurant owners are a central feature of the site, and provide subscribers with up-to-date insider information on issues such as seasonal specialties, local produce and regional events.” After spinning off its North American drinks business as the Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) earlier this year, Cadbury announced it was also reviewing the future of Schweppes Australia. Industry insiders have little doubt that the Australian drinks business will eventually be sold off – when market conditions and the price are right. Potential buyers for the business are thought to include Australasian Coke bottler Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA), Australian soft drinks maker P&N Beverages, and the Japanese giants Kirin and Suntory (the latter having just clinched a deal to buy the New Zealand drinks group Frucor from Groupe Danone of France). As well as distributing Schweppes in Australia, Cadbury also markets a range of beverages including Cottee’s cordials, Spring Valley Juice and Solo bottled water, and also produces PepsiCo beverages for the local market.

**The Financial Times has selected WaterAid for its 2008 FT Seasonal Appeal.** WaterAid is an international charity with a vision of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. The seasonal appeal will include a series of articles from November through to mid-January, highlighting WaterAid's work. The articles will feature WaterAid's initiatives in some of the poorest countries in Asia and Africa, enabling people to gain access to vital water, sanitation and hygiene education. It's hoped this special series will encourage readers to donate to WaterAid and greatly increase awareness of the importance of water and sanitation worldwide. Previous appeals have raised over £2.2m ($3.7m) for other charities. Lionel Barber, Editor of The Financial Times, said: "This year's FT Seasonal Appeal charity has, for the first time, been selected by FT staff from around the globe. We're delighted to be supporting WaterAid and we hope this campaign will help place water and sanitation issues further up the global agenda."

Superfos, manufacturers of injection moulded plastic packaging, has developed a tool that enables precise calculations of the carbon footprint of each packaging solution. The goal is to reach lower CO2 emissions through green innovations. The packaging manufacturer has an ongoing focus on reaching a smaller carbon footprint. The CO2 tool calculates each packaging container’s precise CO2 emissions through the choice of raw material, energy consumption in production, transport and disposal. “The calculator is both an important part of our carbon footprint strategy and our response to an increasing customer wish combined with a lack of market standards in this field. "Though packaging accounts for only 10% of an average product’s total CO2 emission, there is still room for improvement. And precise calculations give us a head start on reaching a smaller carbon footprint because it enables us to pick out the best way to take action,” said Product Design Manager Torben Noer from Superfos. As energy systems and waste disposal are very different from country to country, it used to be difficult to calculate the actual footprint on each market. However, this problem is solved in Superfos’ calculator. A real break-through, according to Torben Noer: “Our calculator enables us to differentiate between the waste handling, energy systems and recovery systems in each market including whether there is a recycling system or not. "Furthermore, the calculations show that the use of virgin plastic is environmentally expensive, so we are focusing on various ways to reduce the need for virgin material. In one calculation, natural fillers save about 7 grams of CO2 on each container. Added up to a million containers, this equals the CO2 emission from an average car driving all the way around the world!”

Leading water cooler manufacturer Ebac has appointed Laura Newby and Julia Harte to its UK team to boost sales and support infrastructure in the UK. Laura, who has been promoted internally because of her excellent customer relationship skills, will be working closely with Julia, who has a Masters Degree in Business Management as well as three years' experience of Sales Management. Laura and Julia’s main focus will be promoting the newly launched FMax POU water cooler, which has seen an incredibly high demand for demonstrations. Julia said: “We’ve been astonished at the amount of people who want to see the new FMax POU, and I’m looking forward to getting out there and showing off this revolutionary cooler. There seems to be a real buzz around this product, so I’m excited to have joined Ebac at this time.” Laura added: “We’ll also be looking to improve the support system for our customers when they need help and assistance. Other companies have sales staff that won’t offer any technical support, whereas we want to provide the complete solution to our customers from one person.”

*UK dairy company, Arla Foods, has appointed Samantha Glassford as Brand Manager on one of its fastest growing brands, Lactofree. * Samantha joins the team after 18 months as a Retail Consultant for retail marketing agency, The Bezier Group – working on Argos, Boots, M&S Finance, Cadbury, GSK and Unilever – and prior to that, as Product Marketing Manager for Mamas & Papas. Samantha, whose experience includes delivering bespoke insights to influence and shape retail marketing campaigns alongside in-store environment and shopper interaction projects, will work closely on the implementation of the lactose-free brand’s in-store activation and drive forward its on-going national advertising, PR and digital strategy campaigns, most notably on the brand’s new product development. Lactofree launched in 2006 as the UK’s first ever lactose-free dairy drink. The portfolio now includes natural and flavoured yogurts, recently launched in all major supermarkets, and Lactofree cheese, which will launch in January 2009. Both foods were hailed as ‘most missed’ by those with lactose intolerance following consumer insight. The new yogurt and cheese will be accompanied by an extension of the Lactofree milk range, with whole milk standing alongside its already existing semi-skimmed milk variant. Samantha Glassford commented: “It is an extremely exciting time to join Arla and manage an innovative brand like Lactofree as it undergoes considerable growth. I am very much looking forward to taking a hands on approach to deliver new above and below the line campaign strategies and working on products that makes such a difference to consumers and their lifestyles”.

Food processing and packaging solutions supplier, Tetra Pak, has announced global availability of Tetra Gemina Aseptic, a roll-fed gable top shaped package with full aseptic performance for the packaging of both juice and milk-based products. Two new package sizes have been commercially released in the Tetra Gemina Aseptic family: Tetra Gemina Aseptic 500 ml Square and Tetra Gemina Aseptic 750 ml Square. The new sizes open up opportunities for customers to enter alternative retail channels, and develop new products at attractive price points. The Tetra Gemina Aseptic package is also available in 500 ml, 750 ml and 1000 ml sizes. Tetra Pak has produced more than 400 million Tetra Gemina Aseptic packages to date based on the leading Tetra Pak A3/Flex platform, which has been deployed in Spain, France, Russia, Portugal and Kazakhstan. 80% of customer orders for the Tetra Pak A3/Flex for Tetra Gemina Aseptic include the new QuickChange option. QuickChange conversion between Tetra Gemina Aseptic package sizes enables customers to quickly change package sizes to respond to market preferences, seasonal cycles or new promotional opportunities. Independent research in eight markets using a sample base of over 1,500 consumers shows that the Tetra Gemina Aseptic package delivers an attractive design, excellent functionality and product differentiation. The research conducted in 2007 also confirmed that the package's unique top and distinctive shape combined with easy handling and high pouring performance provides convenience to the end user. With Tetra Gemina Aseptic, customers and retailers benefit from strong shelf-impact and the advantages of ambient distribution, at a competitive cost.

*The European Parliament has voted in support of an EU-wide School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, which urges an expansion in the EU programme for distributing fruit and vegetables in schools. * The aim is to encourage healthier eating habits in children and combat the obesity epidemic. MEPs would like to see more funding for the programme and they also suggest giving priority to local seasonal produce. The <1> was adopted with 586 votes in favour, 47 against and 41 abstentions. The European Commission has proposed a budget of €90m for this programme for the school year 2009-2010. This budget is not enough, argue MEPs: it is equivalent to giving every child aged 6 to 10 one piece of fruit a week for 30 weeks. The scheme should consist of a portion of fruit per pupil per day and not only be aimed at school children aged six to ten years, as the Commission proposes. Niels Busk said: "The best thing would be for every child to have a piece of fruit every day and that means more money from the Community budget. The majority of the Agriculture committee agreed on a number of €500m and National co-funding. "I don't necessarily agree with that, I hope we can correct it in the vote. On behalf of my group I have proposed that €350m should be set aside plus contributions from the Member states, that would give you a lot more than a total of €500m." The report also calls for the practical arrangements for the programme to be clarified. MEPs say it should cover only fresh fruit and vegetables produced within the EU and not processed fruit and vegetable products. In response to this last requirements OIETFL, the European Association of the EU's fruit and vegetable processisng industries representing the interest of the manufacturers of canned, frozen and dehydrated vegetables, claimed that it was incorrect to to state that processed fruit and vegetable products are of lesser nutritional value. OIETFL President Mr. Garcia Gomez commented on the scheme: "The key point is to provide the Member States with sufficient flexibility to let them decide how best to implement schemes at a national or even regional level, taking into account diverging national nutritional recommendations and cultural habits." <1>: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id=5665632

*Free tap water will be available to all during the London 2012 Olympic Games, organisers have confirmed. * The provision of tap water will vary from venue to venue depending on the type of infrastructure available, which will be reviewed through the planning processes. As far as possible, events leading to the build-up of 2012 will also offer tap water. Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of the London Organising Committee, said: “It is our policy to ensure the provision of free drinking water to the public at Games venues”. UK tap water is among the best in the world. This is the result of sustained investment by water companies to ensure that quality and consistency meet the rigorous standards set by the EU Drinking Water Directive backed by the World Health Organisation. The most recent annual report from the Drinking Water Inspectorate shows that 99.96% of all tests carried out in England and Wales met the required standards.

PepsiCo has chosen Californian communication agency TBWA\Chiat\Day to market the Pepsi trademark in the US, including Diet Pepsi. The Arnell Group, which created Pepsi's new logo, handles brand identity and packaging innovation for Pepsi and other brands. The brand leaves BBDO after 48 years. Last year PepsiCo spent about £162m on the Pepsi brand, according to Advertising Age's 100 Leading National Advertisers report. "We decided to appoint TBWA\Chiat\Day to refresh Pepsi's communications across multiple consumer touch points and to reinvigorate Pepsi's legacy of leading-edge advertising," said Dave Burwick, CMO, PepsiCo North America Beverages, in a statement. "This is fully complementary with our ongoing relationship with Arnell who has created the new Pepsi identity and packaging and is responsible for the ongoing design and brand identity development." According to Burwick, BBDO will continue to handle other Pepsi brands, including Pepsi Max, Mountain Dew, AMP Energy and the North American Coffee Partnership (with Starbucks). BBDO also will continue to handle the Pepsi brand, and others, outside the US.

According to Boisset Family Estates, a case of wine in glass bottles weighs 38 pounds. In plastic, a case weighs just 22 pounds, a weight savings of more than 40%. In order to reduce the carbon footprint of the wine, the company has chosen to break with tradition and package this year's Beaujolais Nouveau in PET. Boisset has chosen Constar International Inc., manufacturer of high-barrier PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging technology, to supply the technology and preforms used to make its new 750ml plastic bottles. The winemaker has endeavoured to make the PET bottle as similar to glass a possible. The lightweight plastic vessels contain a proprietary oxygen scavenging technology called MonOxbar that keeps oxygen from permeating into the bottle, thereby protecting flavour, aroma and colour of the wine inside. Constar Vice President for Marketing and Business Development Scott Pleune commented: "There is growing demand from retailers, marketers, and consumers for environmentally friendly packaging, and equally important, sustainable business practices. "Boisset Family Estates has embraced this concept and found a package that satisfies the demand for sustainability without compromising the performance of the package and the integrity of the wine. Containers incorporating our MonOxbar technology are specifically designed to protect the subtle flavours of wine, beverages and foods that are packed in PET containers." According to Boisset Family Estates President Jean-Charles Boisset, his winery is the first ever to announce that all of its Beaujolais Nouveau wines imported to North America will be packaged exclusively in lightweight PET plastic bottles. "We are committed to reducing the wine world's carbon footprint," he said.