The Fruit Label Company Is at it Again! Introducing a Unique Apple Campaign That Begs the Question: ``Why Is Jeeves from Ask.com on Apple Stickers?''

Business Wire,  Nov 9, 1999  

Tags: Apple Inc., Ask.com

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LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Nov. 9, 1999--

"Why is New York called the Big Apple?"

This question, along with several others relating to apples will begin appearing in supermarket produce sections this week, as The Fruit Label Company, in association with The California Apple Commission, and Ask Jeeves, label more than 15 million apples to promote the natural language question answering service at Ask.com.

The innovative medium was created by Tarzana, Calif.-based The Fruit Label Company. The Ask Jeeves apple PLU (price look-up) labels are part of a national branding and awareness campaign for the popular Internet company.

The apple ads are oval in shape, and are approximately 1 inch by 5/8 inch in diameter. There are six questions that will be featured for the campaign, including, "How do I make California Wrapples?" "What is a good recipe for Dutch apple pie?" "Does an apple a day keep the doctor away?" "How do you make homemade applesauce?" and "What are some great apple snacks for kids?"

The purpose of the Ask Jeeves fruit label campaign is to draw consumers to the question answering service at Ask.com, and allow them to ask questions in plain English to find answers to their everyday questions.

"Ask Jeeves continues to focus on helping people get things done by answering questions about a range of topics, from apple pie recipes to fixing leaky faucets," said Ted Briscoe, general manager and senior vice president of Ask.com.

"We are exploring a new medium to get our message about Ask.com across. Pending success with the apple campaign, we will label bananas, oranges and grapefruits starting in 2000."

"What is truly unique about this campaign is that it is targeting a commodity through the Internet, which is a very new approach," stated Irv Weinhaus, chief executive officer of The Fruit Label Company.

"By going to the Ask.com site, consumers can ask Jeeves about nutritional information, recipes and fun facts, while promoting apple consumption at the same time. Advertising on fruit is a novel and fun way to reach consumers."

About Ask Jeeves Inc.

Ask Jeeves provides natural-language question answering services for consumers and companies on the Web by allowing users to ask questions in plain English and be directed to Web sites containing the answer.

The consumer Question Answering Service at Ask.com makes it easier for people to quickly find relevant information, products and services throughout the Internet. The Corporate Question Answering Service, which provides question answering services for company Web sites, helps companies manage customer interactions for electronic commerce and support.

Both services use Ask Jeeves' proprietary technology, using knowledge bases containing questions and answers to connect consumers to answers. The knowledge bases are designed to become more intelligent with use and can be integrated together to create a question answering network. For more information visit http://www.Ask.com or call 510/985-7400.

For more information, contact Victoria Pevan or Emily Olsen at StellarQuest Entertainment Public Relations at 310/843-0898, or Quimby Mills at Ask Jeeves at 510/985-7683.

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