Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers™ Meals to Redefine 'The Working Lunch' Through Live, One-of-a-Kind, Online Experience
More and more office workers are trapped at their desks during the lunch hour. In fact, according to a recent Omnibus survey, 60 percent of office workers in the United States said they eat lunch at their desks at least once or twice a week. To accommodate this growing trend and bring humor into the work day, Healthy Choice has joined forces with MSN to introduce the "The Working Lunch" -- a unique Web site featuring a live, four-hour show consisting of improvised sketch-theme comedy segments, directed by visitors on http://www. workinglunch. msn. com.
Omaha, Neb. (PRWEB) November 13, 2008
More and more office workers are trapped at their desks during the lunch hour. In fact, according to a recent Omnibus survey, 60 percent of office workers in the United States said they eat lunch at their desks at least once or twice a week.(i)
To accommodate this growing trend and bring humor into the work day, Healthy Choice has joined forces with MSN to introduce the "The Working Lunch" (http://www. workinglunch. msn. com) -- a unique Web site featuring a live, four-hour show consisting of improvised sketch-theme comedy segments, directed by visitors on http://www. workinglunch. msn. com (http://www. workinglunch. msn. com). This exciting interactive experience will enhance the lunch hour for these hard-working professionals at noon today in each time zone across the country.
Through streaming video technology, this unpredictable, live program is brought to life in the new "prime time" of today's time-crunched office workers. From Nov. 12 through Nov. 25, for 10 consecutive business days, between the hours of 12 p. m. and 4 p. m. EST, Web site visitors to http://www. workinglunch. msn. com (http://www. workinglunch. msn. com) can participate in the digital experience by voting on sketch themes and directing the improvisational comedy group, which includes Second City alumni and actors from the new Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers television commercials.
The live improvised performances will take the form of an actual office meeting, and the ensemble cast will integrate Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers meals, new complete, freshly prepared and healthful lunch options that can be stored in a desk or a pantry, into each sketch. Once produced, the day's shows will be archived on the site. Condensed sketches are embeddable, making them easy to share with friends across the Internet.
According to Nielsen in 2008, people between the ages of 25 and 54 consume 90 percent of their total Internet usage time during working lunch hours, between 11 a. m. and 2 p. m.(ii)
"'The Working Lunch,' just like Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers, is designed to give busy office workers a lunch hour they can look forward to," said Michael Locascio, vice president of marketing at ConAgra Foods. "This interactive experience provides the online entertainment and humor that deskbound and time-strapped office workers are seeking, while underscoring the convenience, great taste and nutritional value of Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers."
"Our Branded Entertainment and Experiences Team is thrilled to be partnering with Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers to provide our audience with exactly what they need, a break from the work day," said Michael Sigenthaler, director, MSN Branded Entertainment and Experiences. "'The Working Lunch,' is a fast, humorous and entertaining snack that allows our customers to control what they will see next."
"The Working Lunch" is the next step in the overall Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers launch and the growing movement to enhance the way people eat lunch during the work day. This virtual experience will continue with a fresh series of live, online meeting sketches in January 2009.
About Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers
Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers meals are priced at $3.49 each and can be found in the pasta or prepared-foods aisle. They are available in six fresh-tasting varieties, including Sweet & Sour Chicken, Sesame Teriyaki Chicken, Ziti & Meat Sauce, Rotini & Zesty Marinara Sauce, Southwestern Style Chicken and Szechwan Beef with Asian Style Noodles. For more information, please visit http://www. healthychoice. com (http://www. healthychoice. com).
About ConAgra Foods
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America's leading packaged food companies, serving consumer grocery retailers, as well as restaurants and other foodservice establishments. Popular ConAgra Foods consumer brands include: Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM, Peter Pan and many others. For more information, please visit us at http://www. conagrafoods. com (http://www. conagrafoods. com).
(i) These findings are based on a survey conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation among a sample of 2,181 U. S. adults composed of 1,043 men and 1,138 women 18 years of age and older. Among the 2,181 adults, 635 indicated they work in an office setting at least 30 hours each week.
The online Omnibus study is conducted twice a week among a demographically representative sample of U. S. adults, using Greenfield Online sample. Interviewing for this survey was completed Sept. 15-16 and Sept. 22-23, 2008.
(ii) Nielsen 2008, Base: Internet Users
SOURCE ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Sue Burke, +1-630-857-1347, or mobile, +1-630-359-7274, Susan. Burke @ conagrafoods. com, or Deirdre Middleton, +1-202-835-8829, or mobile, +1-703-786-4866, Deirdre. Middleton @ ketchum. com, both for ConAgra Foods, Inc.
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