Expect more of the same in 2003, from the South African Avocado Growers' Association (SAAGA) UK promotion campaign, operated by specialist food marketing, PR and promotion agency Richmond Towers since 1995.

The running of the SAAGA initiative has coincided with a doubling of consumption of avocados in the UK summer and majors on a sophisticated consumer, foodservice and retail trade media audience. It has delivered over £1 million worth of advertising exposure for South African avocados each season.

A key activity in the consumer PR programme for South African avocados this year is the launch of a Summer Avocado Diet, the first of its kind, which enables you to lose at least 10lbs in a month by eating more healthily and enjoying avocados to the full and often.

It has been devised in consultation with Sally Ann Voak, the author of Britain's top selling diet books and best read-slimming column - read by over 10 million people each week – which appears in The Sun newspaper each week.

A new 24-page consumer booklet, 'The Amazing Avocado' is also being used in 2003, containing more than 50 health benefits, eating and summer recipe ideas. It is being used not only to create consumer magazine and newspaper coverage on its contents and, in the process, stimulate requests from consumers for free copies, but also for in-store South African avocado samplings by certain multiple retailers and on-pack offers by others.

SAAGA believes that this year's campaign will benefit sales by also maximising consumer and media interest in the health as well as the taste and versatility benefits of avocados. It stresses that avocados contain no cholesterol, nor the wrong sort of fat – and they contain more protein than any other fruit.

Also, they are not fattening - in fact half an avocado contains less calories than a couple of digestive biscuits or a bag of crisps or a barbecued sausage or a mozzarella and tomato salad.

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