Mount Maunganui-based Kiwifruit marketer Zespri has scored a major marketing coup with one million pieces of its new SunGold kiwifruit to be enjoyed by Mexican children as part of their McDonald's Happy Meals this month.

Zespri General Manager Carol Ward told SunLive from Mexico that the launch in Mexico City this weekend has been enthusiastically received by children and parents.

Mexican children are enjoying their first taste of Zespri SunGold kiwifruit as part of their McDonald's Happy Meals this month. Photos: Supplied.

'The children ate all their SunGold fruit and said it was tasty and sweet,” explains Carol.

'When we asked parents if they thought it was a fruit they would buy for their families, they said yes, adding that it was great to see their children eating and enjoying the fruit.”

Carol says Zespri is thrilled to partner with one of the world's largest and best-known food retailers to introduce consumers in Mexico to Zespri's great-tasting new gold variety.

She adds: 'We sell in 54 countries around the world and this is a world first for Zespri, which will result in sales of more than one million pieces of this sweet, juicy fruit.

'Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit is full of goodness – one SunGold provides all your daily recommended vitamin C – and we're confident Mexican parents will appreciate this healthy addition to their children's diets.”

According to Felix Ramírez, Director of Corporate Communication for McDonald's Mexico, McDonald's commitment to innovation and quality leads it to search out the best products for all its consumers.

'McDonald's in Mexico is searching for suppliers that are governed by and adopt our high standards of hygiene and quality,” says Felix.

'For us, the fact that we are incorporating products such as kiwifruit into our range of options is synonymous with evolution and our commitment to Mexican society.”

One Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit and spife (combination spoon-knife to cut and scoop) will be available in every McDonald's Happy Meal in more than 400 McDonald's restaurants in Mexico throughout the month of June.

Zespri General Manager Carol Ward says Zespri is thrilled to partner with McDonald's to introduce consumers in Mexico to Zespri's SunGold fruit.

A SunGold advertisement will also play on McTV in McDonald's stores during the promotion and McDonald's Mexico's 8,000 crew will receive training about Zespri and SunGold.

'Mexico is a sophisticated fruit market and consumers have responded really positively to the sweet tropical taste of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit,” says Carol.

'Mexico is a relatively new market for Zespri and we're forecasting sales volumes of around 750,000 trays in Mexico this season - up more than 40 percent from last season.

'This marketing partnership is a great step toward establishing both our brand and gold kiwifruit, which is largely unknown in this region, to families across Mexico.

'This is part of a broader strategy to introduce our new premium product and its powerful health benefits to new markets around the world.”

The opportunity to include SunGold fruit in McDonald's Happy Meals came through Zespri's distributor in Mexico Cocanmex,and Carol says months of careful planning was required to make it happen.

'All the fruit, which is a special size, arrived on time,” she adds, 'and is pre-conditioned so each piece of fruit is ready to eat and of perfect quality.”

McDonald is paying for the fruit, she says. 'This is a commercial arrangement and Zespri is making a marketing investment into the promotion as this is a great opportunity to introduce so many young Mexican families to our fruit.”

Carol wouldn't be drawn on whether the Mexican initiative could be rolled out through other McDonald restaurants, other than to say 'wouldn't that be great?”

McDonald's and Zespri are holding a joint press conference in Mexico to launch the new sweet initiative.