• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, September 24, 2012

As part of its new “One Giant Pledge” campaign -- urging families to pledge to eat one more vegetable per day for 30 days -- the Green Giant will make an appearance, via augmented reality, in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal on Oct. 2.

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., terminal visitors will be able to interact with the giant-sized character, who will reward them with a fist bump or high-five when they take the pledge.

Alison Sweeney, host of “The Biggest Loser,” will make an appearance to take the pledge on behalf of her family and talk about how Green Giant can help make sticking to the commitment easy. In addition, child nutritionist Melissa Halas-Liang will offer parents healthy eating tips and recipes. 

Veggie jugglers, stilt walkers and other entertainers will also be on hand. 

The One Giant Pledge campaign, which kicked off with a TV spot last week, positions the Green Giant as families’ “wing man” in achieving the goal of eating more vegetables in order to be physically prepared to “be the best they can be.” The campaign continues the brand’s strategy of employing the character to make eating vegetables fun for kids and families, said Yumi Clevenger-Lee, marketing manager for General Mills.

The campaign’s hub is Green Giant’s Facebook page. There, each member of a family can create a customized pledge by identifying a goal (kids might state what career they aspire to, for instance) and uploading a photo. The “Proof of Pledge” can be used for sharing, printing and adding to a photo gallery on the Facebook page. The first 10,000 children who make the pledge will receive a One Giant Pledge wristband.

Aspirational pledges are being randomly selected to be turned into “veggie art” featured on the page. The site also offers a 30-day pledge calendar for tracking progress, a tool to make a custom postcard of a child getting a high-five from the Green Giant; tips through the Facebook timeline and on the brand’s blog and Twitter account; a downloadable Green Giant “ho, ho, ho” ringtone; and an option for parents to opt in to receive personalized text messages of encouragement from the Giant for their kids.