Driving Produce Consumption: Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy!

The Wiggles team up to get Aussie kids eating fresh produce.

Only 4% of Australians hit the national target of two servings of fruit and five of vegetables a day, says the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Among children, 94% miss the daily vegetable mark. And it’s not improving. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) projects fresh fruit intake will fall nearly 10% by 2030, while “junk” foods jump 18%.

Unless that changes, the fruit-and-veg gap will keep widening, with long-term health consequences. Australia isn’t alone. Many developed nations, including the U.S., share the same problem.

It’s not for lack of supply. Australia’s farms produce a bounty of fresh food. The nation’s agricultural output has grown 34% over the past two decades, from $61.5 billion in 2004-05 to $82.4 billion in 2023-24, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

Productivity gains, technology adoption, and better management have boosted crop volumes, not counting imports. So, the produce is there, the appetite isn’t.

And it’s not for lack of trying. Governments, industry, and educators have all pushed produce promotion. Even pop culture got involved: The Wiggles — Australia’s most beloved children’s band — turned fruit prep into a musical moment with their 1994 hit Fruit Salad (Yummy Yummy). The song’s catchy “chop it up, mix it up” lyrics, calling out apples, grapes, bananas and melons, have racked up more than 94 million YouTube views. The tune still strikes a nostalgic chord for parents and a playful note for kids, making it ripe for a reboot in Australia’s latest produce push.

KIDS AS INFLUENCERS

In June, at Hort Connections, the International Fresh Produce Association Australia-New Zealand (IFPA ANZ) announced a partnership with The Wiggles to launch the Fruit & Veggies Yummy Yummy campaign, an unprecedented push to help children eat more fruits and vegetables.

The announcement was amplified with a media launch on The Today Show, broadcast from Family Fresh Farms, a 12-acre glasshouse in New South Wales that grows Qukes brand baby cucumbers for produce distributor, Perfection Fresh. The segment introduced both The Wiggles’ Tree of Wisdom tour and the presenting partnership.

The Fruit & Veggies Yummy Yummy campaign was founded on solid evidence. IFPA’s 2024 Global Intelligence Consumer Tracking Study, spanning seven countries — Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, South Korea, the U.S. and the U.K. — found that Australian parents are more likely than their global peers to be influenced by their children’s preferences when grocery shopping.

Added inspiration for the campaign came from two other behavioral insights of the study. First, 56% of Australian parents take their children grocery shopping most or all the time, and second, 51% of Australian parents allow their children to cook with them by age 8.

“IFPA and The Wiggles saw an opportunity to do something truly different and unprecedented,” says Belinda Wilson, managing director of the IFPA ANZ, in Melbourne, Australia. That is, “to unite the fresh produce industry and families alike through a science-based campaign that brings education to life with music, movement, and play in a way that transcends cultures and language.”

Behind the scenes, the IFPA ANZ team has been working closely with The Wiggles’ creative and production teams to coordinate the campaign’s strategy, partnerships, and creative content. The campaign is supported by a network of partners, including Hort Innovation, AUSVEG, Perfection Fresh, Flavorite, Mitolo Family Farms, Mackays Marketing, Premier Fresh and the IFPA global team.

“Making healthy eating fun is part of the magic of The Wiggles,” says Brett Fifield, chief executive officer of Hort Innovation, the North Sydney-based, nonprofit grower-owned research and development corporation for Australia’s horticulture industry. “Inspiring kids to eat fresh fruit and veggies will have lifelong impacts on their health, on our communities, and on the growers who nourish the nation.”

“Making healthy eating fun is part of the magic of The Wiggles. Inspiring kids to eat fresh fruit and veggies will have lifelong impacts on their health, on our communities, and on the growers who nourish the nation.”
— Brett Fifield, Hort Innovation, North Sydney, Australia

Financially, the campaign is funded through a combination of industry contributions, sponsorships and in-kind support.

But the real power lies in the people.

“At the end of the day, if we can make one more child excited about eating a banana, potatoes, or a cucumber, we’ve done our job.”
— Anthony Field, original Blue Wiggle

“At the end of the day, if we can make one more child excited about eating a banana, potatoes, or a cucumber, we’ve done our job,” says Anthony Field, the original Blue Wiggle and one of the songwriters of Fruit Salad.

CAMPAIGN NUTS & BOLTS

The Fruit & Veggies Yummy Yummy campaign is a multimedia education campaign, blending digital, social and live experiences to connect with children and families wherever they are.

Concerts. From November 2025 through January 2026, The Wiggles, often called the “Taylor Swift for toddlers,” take their Tree of Wisdom Big Show Arena Spectacular on tour across Australia.

The Fruit & Veggies Yummy Yummy campaign is built into the show through songs, visuals, and audience interaction, turning fresh produce into part of the fun. The stage comes alive with fruit and veggie inflatables, bright costumes, and high-energy music. Before the show, kids and parents can sample fresh produce and learn where it comes from.

“We ran a competition this fall to meet The Wiggles Live in Concert in Australia,” says Wilson. To enter, families must purchase fresh produce, including Tiny Toms tomatoes, Qukes mini cucumbers, bananas, or fresh potatoes, and answer questions.

Digital. The campaign’s digital home sits proudly on The Wiggles’ official website, which, combined with all The Wiggles’ digital presences, reaches a global audience of more than 20 million visitors. This partnership gives the campaign unparalleled reach into Australian households and across international markets.

The dedicated Fruit & Veggies Yummy Yummy hub features games, recipes, educational videos, and downloadable resources that link healthy eating with play, music and learning.

Social Media. Across The Wiggles’ industry and IFPA A-NZ’s social media platforms, the campaign has sparked a wave of engagement about fresh produce, capitalizing on social media trends, such as the dancing “blue shirt guy.”

As of the end of October, four to five social media posts, including Blue Wiggle Field “going bananas” by dancing to celebrate National Banana Day, have reached 1.3 million (1,316,510) users across The Wiggles’ main platforms (Meta and TikTok), with post views exceeding 1.1 million, demonstrating significant interaction and excitement.

THE SUPPLY SIDE

Australia’s leading produce suppliers are backing Fruit & Veggies Yummy Yummy to drive lasting change in how families buy, cook, and enjoy fresh produce. For these companies, the campaign’s alignment with their core mission — boosting fruit and vegetable consumption — makes it a natural fit.

“The message couldn’t be more important,” says John Tselekidis, head of sales and marketing for Mitolo Family Farms, located north of Adelaide. It is Australia’s largest potato and onion grower and packer, supplying major Australian supermarket chains, like Coles and Woolworths.

“We wanted to be involved in this campaign because of its strong alignment with increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among Australian families, by partnering with Australian family icons, The Wiggles.”

The company is contributing through new family-friendly recipes, lunchbox ideas, and on-pack messaging in its upcoming back-to-school promotion, showing how potatoes can play a simple, nutritious role in everyday meals.

AUSVEG, the national industry body representing vegetable, potato and onion growers, based near Melbourne, is also lending its support.

“With The Wiggles onboard, we know they talk directly to kids here and around the world,” says Michael Coote, chief executive officer.

AUSVEG and its state associations are helping amplify campaign materials through their channels and grower networks. Coote says that just one extra serving of vegetables per person per day by 2030 could unlock the equivalent of U.S. $2.8 billion in national benefits, including a direct U.S. $2.1 billion boost to the vegetable supply chain, proof that eating more veggies is good for both health and the economy.

Flavorite, Australia’s largest glasshouse producer of tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers, located north of Melbourne, is bringing the campaign to life in-store with Wiggles-branded Tiny Toms and cherry truss tomato packs featuring QR codes that link to recipes, videos, and competitions.

“It’s about connecting consumers, not just to the food they eat, but to the farms and people who grow it,” says Tom Millis, marketing and communications manager.

These grower-shippers’ advice for other produce suppliers: Get involved. Partner with IFPA-ANZ or local retailers, integrate family-friendly education into packaging and digital campaigns, and make healthy eating easy and fun.

“The Wiggles platform gives producers access to an audience we could never reach alone,” says Tselekidis.

LOOKING AHEAD — FILLING A CUP HALF FULL

The Fruit & Veggies Yummy Yummy campaign has the potential to reverse Australia’s declining intake of fruit and vegetables. In the short term, it will reach millions through The Wiggles’ global platforms, including 20 million website visitors, social media, concerts, and national retail activations, helping make produce fun, familiar, and part of daily life. For the industry, that means stronger visibility, brand connection and sales growth.

“The scale and credibility of The Wiggles give this campaign a unique opportunity to influence behavior at a household level,” says IFPA ANZ’s Wilson. “It’s not just awareness; it’s about driving real change in what families buy and eat.”

Long term, even modest gains in fruit and vegetable intake could improve public health, strengthen grower resilience, and build future demand. Retailers see the same potential.

“If families could reach the recommended intake of fresh fruits and veggies daily, it would mean healthier kids, happier parents, and stronger support for our local growers,” says Luke Harris, co-chief executive officer of Harris Farm Markets, a 36-store retailer headquartered in Sydney. “That means being part of something bigger, helping families build lifelong habits around fresh, local, nutritious food.”

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Retailers Emphasize Produce is Fun, Colorful and Good For You

Retailers are an integral partner in the the Fruit & Veggies Yummy Yummy campaign, recently kicked off by the International Fresh Produce Association Australia-New Zealand (IFPA ANZ) in partnership with The Wiggles.

Retail activations will launch nationally across Australia from January to February 2026, coinciding with the Australian back-to-school season.

The campaign has received endorsement from all of Australia’s leading supermarkets.

“We’ve always believed that good food brings people together,” says Luke Harris, co-chief executive officer of Harris Farm Markets, a 36-store retailer headquartered in Sydney, with locations in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. “That is an exact quote from dad, David Harris, who started this business in 1971. That starts with inspiring a love of fresh fruit and vegetables early on.”

Harris adds the Fruit & Veggies Yummy Yummy campaign “fits right at the heart of our purpose: For the Greater Goodness. We stand for more than just the good food we sell. We’re about championing goodness in every sense — for farmers, the environment, local communities and our customers.”

PLENTY OF PROMOTIONS

Planned elements include: a competition with various prizes, including the main prize being an opportunity to meet The Wiggles at an in-store appearance; life-size cut-outs of The Wiggles placed alongside fresh produce displays; and hanging banners.

There will also be digital marketing and outdoor billboards reinforcing the campaign message in high-traffic areas; catalogue inclusions and retailer-specific digital activations; and on-pack stickers for products linked to the competition.