• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 22, 2025

Been recycling the same “Have a great day!” note in your kid’s lunchbox since October? Welch’s Fruit Snacks wants to help parents level up their lunchbox love — with a little assist from AI.

For a limited time, the brand is selling writable pouches with QR codes that link to Welch’s Fruit Snacks Lunchbox Notes Translator. Parents type in a simple message — like “Good luck at soccer” — and get a heartfelt upgrade, such as “Kick it like a champ and have an awesome game.”

More importantly, the tool gently rephrases even the moments parents might not be proud of. “Stop biting your brother” becomes “Teeth are for fruit snacks, not brothers.” And “You make me tired” transforms into “I love how independent you can be!”

“It’s the first-of-its-kind tool,” says Jason Levine, CMO of PIM Brands, the parent company of Welch’s Fruit Snacks. “We want to encourage more parents to write lunchbox notes. It’s just a little way to make kids feel special.”

Levine says the idea ties back to the brand’s larger mission. “We’re the most loved fruit snack in the world because of our focus on using whole fruit as our main ingredient,” he says. “This is another way we help parents feel good about what they’re giving their kids — and about how they’re connecting with them.”

While the brand could have launched the initiative in September, Levine tells Marketing Daily that spring was the smarter choice: “This is the time of year when parents are running out of things to say. How often can you write ‘I love you’ before it starts feeling stale?”

Consumers are increasingly open to generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. Salesforce research shows that 45% already use AI for search and other everyday tasks — and 70% among Gen Z, the group most likely to have young kids. But Levine says parents won't need tech savvy to try the Lunchbox Notes Translator: “The QR code just makes it seamless and convenient.”

Welch’s is supporting the campaign with a paid and organic social push, using influencers to spread the word. Partners include Corner Market Communications, Critical Mass for creative, and Makers with AI, for the underlying AI tool.

“Our job is to make relationships a little more fruitful,” Levine says. “We do that by focusing on whole fruit. And we do that through small efforts like this.”