Chobani has signed former softball player Jennie Finch as the Greek yogurt brand's "first celebrity endorser of any kind," according to Stuart Elliott of the N.Y. TIMES. The brand is "stepping up efforts to sell" its new children's product Chobani Champions, with new commercials featuring Finch "being added to the mix this month" ahead of the London Games. Chobani is an official sponsor of the '12 U.S. Olympic team. The Chobani Champions campaign was created by Leo Burnett, N.Y., with a budget "estimated at" $12M. The theme of the campaign is "Win the day." Finch appears in the Chobani Champions commercial "with one of her two sons, Ace." The commercial "begins with a couple of lighthearted nods to the athletic prowess of Ms. Finch, who calls herself, tongue in cheek, 'a typical mom.'" In one scene, she "stops at a booth at an amusement park and knocks over enough bottles to win Ace a giant stuffed bear." In another scene taking place at her son's baseball game, she "casually catches and tosses a ball without paying much attention." The spot ends with Finch "proudly placing Ace’s (tiny) trophy on a mantel in a living room, in between her Olympic medals." Leo Burnett Chief Creative Officer Jay Benjamin said of the brand's plans for Finch after the London Games, “I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of her" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/15).
