• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, November 13, 2008

In its largest advertising campaign, and the first to include television in three years, "challenger" brand Musselman's is repositioning itself to better compete with the applesauce category giant, Motts.

The farmer cooperative's new campaign, tagged "Grower-Owned Since 1949," breaks Monday, created by Brunner, Pittsburgh.

Orchard-based and intentionally "unslick" in appearance, per a spokesperson for the brand, the new campaign replaces Musselman's previous "Healthy Snack Alternative" positioning, which it could not claim exclusively.

"Internal research showed that "Grower-Owned" also suggests quality and freshness," he says--and it helps to validate higher shelf prices for the brand's single-serve and bottled products, both resulting from a year-long, industry-wide rise in apple prices.

Targeting moms with school-age kids, two television commercials and two outdoor billboards will run in five test DMAs, from Philadelphia to Minneapolis, each selected for high potential share growth.

TV will air on morning and daytime programming such as "Oprah," "Good Morning America," "Ellen," and "The View." Cable buys will run on Food Network, Learning Channel, and other similar channels. Outdoor will go up in high-traffic areas, close to food retail locations.

Musselman's is a division of growers' cooperative, Knouse Foods, Peach Glen, Penn.