Press release

Sunkist Growers, Inc. is kicking off the 2024 holiday season with a new collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing together two timeless classics—Sunkist® Navel oranges and the beloved Christmas movie, The Polar Express. This year, Sunkist introduces a limited-edition The Polar Express holiday-themed 10lb carton and a quarter bin for Sunkist Navel oranges, perfectly capturing the nostalgia and magic of the holiday season. 

"Our collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery’s holiday film, The Polar Express, which is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, speaks to the shared pastimes and timelessness of both our Navel oranges and this beloved holiday classic," said Cassie Howard, senior director of category management and marketing at Sunkist Growers, Inc. "We are excited to make the citrus season even more special for shoppers with this promotion, which will be supported with engaging activations driving consumers to stores to look for Sunkist and ways to incorporate in-season citrus into shared holiday pastimes.”

Navel oranges have been a cherished holiday tradition for generations, symbolizing warmth, family, and the joy of giving. Sunkist is carrying this gift-giving and holiday theme to its merchandising bins and The Polar Express promotion. With the purchase of a 10lb limited-edition The Polar Express-themed carton of Sunkist Navel oranges by 12/31/24, the first 3K participating shoppers can upload an image of their receipt to enjoy The Polar Express on digital. Visit wb.com/PolarExpressSunkist for full details. Limits and restrictions apply. *

In addition to The Polar Express-themed quarter bin and promotional 10lb carton, Sunkist helps retailers brighten their stores during the holidays with a holiday gift wrap quarter bin and holiday ribbon bin wrap and quarter bin display option. “Our holiday merchandising bins give retailers the opportunity to build large, eye-catching displays so their shoppers can easily find Naval oranges and other citrus options, including lemons, mandarins, and grapefruit. We know how important sharing time around the dinner table is during the holidays, and our variety of holiday recipes can play an important role in these occasions and help increase citrus sales by driving shoppers to stores,” explains Howard.

Holiday Promotion

To encourage in-store sales, Sunkist supports The Polar Express promotion with targeted social and digital consumer campaigns. Shoppers are invited to share their festive moments with citrus-inspired dishes and family gatherings at #SunkistCitrus for a chance to be featured on Sunkist’s social channels. A QR code printed on the limited-edition The Polar Express-themed cartons links to a dedicated The Polar Express offer landing page with promotional details.

“We’re excited to do another holiday program this season, as this collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment allows us to deliver even more value to retailers and their shoppers,” states Howard. “Our holiday carton program has had three years of positive volume growth, with the last movie-themed program culminating in a 49 percent increase in volume vs the prior season.” **

The Polar Express-themed Navel orange cartons, quarter bins, and other holiday merchandising display bins and wraps start shipping to participating retailers in early November. For more promotional information, visit Sunkist.com/thepolarexpress.