• by Karlene Lukovitz , October 6, 2009

Even jaded New Yorkers are likely to take note when encountering a cranberry bog in the middle of Rockefeller Center. Or for that matter, being handed a free subway card by Bananaman.

Both experiences were possible Tuesday in Manhattan, where Ocean Spray and Jamba Juice each promoted the launch of new national campaigns.

Ocean Spray installed the 1,500-square-foot, freestanding cranberry bog (holding more than 2,000 pounds of cranberries) in Rockefeller Center to promote a new "Heritage" campaign to be launched next spring.

The new campaign is timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Ocean Spray cooperative of cranberry and grapefruit growers, a global enterprise that posted $1.9 billion in sales in fiscal 2008. "Heritage" will feature the personal stories of growers who have been harvesting cranberries for generations, starting by featuring them now on oceanspray.com/heritage and as of January on selected bottles of Ocean Spray juices and juice drinks.

The campaign is being described as an extension of the brand's whimsical "Straight from the Bog" TV campaign, featuring two actors portraying growers standing in a bog and the now-classic "Tastes Good, Good for You" tagline. Ocean Spray CEO Randy Papadellis recently reported that the brand's advertising testing service found the "Bog" campaign to be the highest-scoring on recall and persuasion since the "Where's the Beef?" campaign.

Both "Bog" and "Heritage" are about "making the connection between our consumers and the families who produce the fruit they've enjoyed in Ocean Spray products for all of these years," VP/marketing Larry Martin commented in announcing the new campaign.

The "Big Apple Bog" event also featured some side attractions, including the unveiling of an Ocean Spray birthday cake created by Food Network chef Duff Goldman. That presentation will be shown on the Oct. 29 episode of the network's "Ace of Cakes." Finally, the brand announced the winners of its third annual Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest, presented by contest judge and Food Network star Tyler Florence of "Tyler's Ultimate."

The bog's next stop is Boston's Gillette Stadium. Promotions there will include a tailgating recipe contest on Oct. 15, whose winner will be declared the "Unofficial Official Tailgate Recipe of the New England Patriots." Judges will be Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah and public television chef Ming Tsai ("Simply Ming"). Growers will be on hand Oct. 17 and 18 to tout the cranberry's fabled heritage.

Jamba Juice, meanwhile, launched a $30 million, three-month "Feel Good Moments" campaign and sweepstakes by having its "Jambassador," Bananaman, cavort and pass out pre-loaded MetroCards and "Jamba Feel Good Bucks" outside Manhattan subway stations.

The character will make similar "Feel Good Event" appearances in high-traffic locations within Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago in coming weeks. Fans can follow on Facebook.com/jambajuice or on Twitter@JambaBananaman.

The restaurant chain will distribute a total of 30 million "Feel Good Bucks" -- vouchers worth anywhere from $1 to $25 toward a Jamba purchase or cash prizes ranging from $50 to a $10,000 grand prize -- through channels including street teams, direct mail, brand partners and online. Each Buck must be submitted at a Jamba register to determine its specific value. The promotion lasts through Jan. 4 at participating stores.

Jamba is also encouraging consumers to enter its "Feel Good Moment" sweepstakes, offering three winners the opportunity to fulfill any legal wish (vacation, loan payoff, etc.) costing up to $10,000. The forms are available on the back of the Bucks and in Jamba stores, and must be physically submitted at a Jamba location. Winners will be chosen randomly and announced during the course of the campaign.