This week's Fun Friday starts with the Underground Donut Tour looking for "America's Greatest Donuts and Donut Shops."
Back for a third year, America's Greatest Donuts Contest is asking fans across the country to nominate their favorite doughnuts and doughnut shops. Each year, the contest has grown by leaps and bounds. In the first year, 2022, there were 8,000 votes cast for the winners. In 2023, there were 22,000 votes cast. The contest's goal for 2024 is 50,000 votes from around the country.
The fan favorite from 2022 and 2023 with the most overall votes was the Cinnamon Caramel Donut from Rise n' Roll Bakery, based in Indiana; this year, they'll be defending their title for a 3rd year in a row. Other past winners include Dahlia Bakery, Donut King, D&D's, Stan's Donuts, Kane's Donuts, Café Du Monde, Five Daughters Bakery, Duck Donuts, Peter Pan, Union Square, and Voodoo Donuts.
Ending March 19, the contest is accepting nominations from anyone who wants to submit their doughnut shop and their best doughnuts. Using those nominations, a list will be compiled of the best categories of doughnuts in the country (Best Cake, Best Croissant, Best Chocolate, etc.) and put up for a vote between March 26 and April 15. Once voting is completed, the results will be tallied and America's Greatest Donut Winners will be announced on May 18, just a few short weeks ahead of National Donut Day on Friday, June 7th.
Each winning shop will receive an award and the ability to tout that they have some of America's Greatest Donuts. The one shop that receives the most overall votes will receive a $500 prize and recognition as America's Greatest Donut: Fan Favorite. Lastly, five lucky participants from across America will be picked to come and attend the Underground Donut Tour for free in any of its cities.
Click here for more info and to enter.
Nutella partners with Alex Guarnaschelli for Stacks for Giving Back Program
This pancake season, Nutella teamed up with celebrity chef, cookbook author and TV personality, Alex Guarnaschelli, to encourage nationwide pancake enthusiasts to top their fluffy stacks with the hazelnut spread and support their local firehouse communities through Nutella’s Stacks for Giving Back Program.
The Stacks for Giving Back program honors and celebrates all that firefighters do by providing them with the materials and products they need to host their next community pancake breakfast. Those who would like to support their local fire departments can nominate them for a chance to win a Nutella Pancake Breakfast Kit, inclusive of the necessities needed to support their next fundraiser.
Additionally, to support firehouses nationwide, Nutella partnered with the National Volunteer Fire Council, for a chance to be awarded $5,000 grants to five deserving volunteer fire departments.
YouGov report reveals healthy snackers' habits
A new report from YouGov shows healthy snacking is on the rise in the U.S. According to new data, 32% of U.S. consumers are healthy snackers, up 4% from four years ago.
Among America’s healthy snackers, the report also found:
- 64% of consumers don’t mind paying more for organic food.
- 35% of healthy snackers spend more than $50 per month on snacks.
- Fruits and vegetables are the leading snack among consumers (72%), but many healthy snackers are still willing to indulge in chips (61%), cookies, (47%), and ice cream (38%) at least once a week.
YouGov’s new report spotlights the brands that are on the rise in trust level and identifies the brands that are winning with healthy snackers.
Quest partners with Kumail Nanjiani for new campaign
Quest Nutrition is partnering with Kumail Nanjiani, for its new campaign: "It’s Basically Cheating." The campaign encourages snackers to unlock the power of “cheating” with Quest by reaching for the sinfully good snacks that have been a guarded secret within the fitness world for a long time.
The Quest brand's campaign features Academy Award and Emmy-nominated writer, actor, and comedian Kumail Nanjiani in an unexpected and satirical series of spots where he cheats at weightlifting, kayaking, and ice skating. He even goes so far as to hire a construction crew to build himself an epic, 40-foot-tall sandcastle. His sharp wit and playful delivery punctuate the core campaign theme that eating Quest products are "so good that it feels like cheating."
Starting today, new national television spots created by BBH USA on behalf of Quest, will begin to debut in various formats as part of a larger campaign including digital, social media, streaming platforms and broadcast events.
Pizza mishap? DiGiorno can help
DiGiorno knows the importance of enjoying the fresh-baked taste that a perfectly round pizza has to offer and wants loyal pizza lovers to be rewarded for the mishaps that can be caused by ordering delivery or carry-out. Through the introduction of the DiGiornoPizza Rescue Program, the brand is providing some comfort to people who have experienced this problem, no matter the extent of damage done to everyone's favorite food.
Whether your delivery or carry-out pizza is smashed, crushed or squished, DiGiorno is here to save the day so consumers can focus on enjoying their relaxing weeknight dinner or weekend get together with family and friends.
Starting on Pi Day, March 14 and ending on April 11, those who experience pizza delivery or carry-out fails can upload an image of their damaged 'za to DiGiornoPizzaRescue.com and receive a DiGiorno pizza coupon. The amount of the coupon will be based on the extent of the damage. With a fresh-baked DiGiorno, pizza lovers never have to be unsure about their meal again.
Consumers can visit DIGIORNOPizzaRescue.com to upload an image of their damaged pizza, where its AI-enabled pizza technology will assess the pie for its level of mishap, which will then unlock a digital coupon based on the percentage of pizza that's been damaged (0-30% damage is $1 off, 31-60% damage is $1.50 off, and 60-100% damage is $2 off). Consumers can then redeem the coupon at the retailer of their choice and pick-up a DiGiorno pizza.
