California Fruit-Sellers: "Would You Like iTunes with That?"

by , 10:35 AM EST, December 15th, 2004

The California Tree Fruit Agreement, the entity responsible for marketing California produce, will begin a new promotion using Apple's iTunes Music Store. Buyers of California produce, including nectarines, plums, and peaches, will earn free iTMS downloads.

The Sacremento Bee reports, "The number of songs to be given away -- they usually cost 99 cents -- and the size of the purchase needed to qualify for the giveaway have not been set. Expect to see in-store promotions by early summer."

This promotion mimics the iTunes-Pepsi promotion from last year's SuperBowl, where some pepsi bottle caps had codes for free songs. Another iTunes-Pepsi promotion is scheduled for this year's SuperBowl as well.

The Mac Observer Spin:

The promotion is probably a great idea for the produce makers. As the Sacremento Bee article points out, it isn't hard to imagine kids encouraging their parent's to buy fruit when the grocery store has big signs advertising free tunes with produce purchases.

The more relevant point is how much the iPod and iTunes have become a sort of marketing amulet. Through these promotions, businesses clearly hope profit by reflecting the Apple products toward consumers.