Dole partners with Minecraft and Hamburg sports clubs to promote fresh fruit and healthy lifestyles
“Please, please, just five more minutes!” Anyone with Minecraft experts at home will know that those extra five minutes rarely end after exactly 300 seconds – at least not without some determined intervention from outside. Admittedly, so far this may not sound much like a topic for the fresh produce industry. But Dole has turned it into one – and in the best possible way. The company is tapping into Minecraft’s popularity among gamers of all ages to bring balanced nutrition into play. But the popular pixel world is only one of Dole’s playing fields. Through its involvement in basketball and handball, the company is also present on the court, where people dribble, shoot and cheer.
For anyone who has yet to encounter Minecraft, a quick explanation may be helpful. The video game has a distinctly retro feel and is, quite literally, a very pixelated affair. Trees, mountains, animals and houses are made up of cube-shaped blocks, with graphics reminiscent of the early days of computer games and their limited visual capabilities. Players collect resources, explore the world and build whatever their materials allow. Along the way, they encounter all kinds of creatures, including the Creeper, one of Minecraft’s best-known characters: green, silent and highly “explosive”.
“Since this summer, our pineapple has also been playing a special role in the Minecraft world, as the fruit is celebrating its 125th anniversary at Dole,” Sonja Köhler, Director Marketing at Dole Europe GmbH, tells Fruchthandel Magazin. To mark the occasion, players can dress their avatar in a specially designed pineapple hoodie for a limited time and explore the Minecraft world in suitably fruity style.
Dole is not, however, a newcomer to the Minecraft playing field. The current campaign, which has been running since 21 June and continues until 3 October, is already the second collaboration. For the fresh produce company, the positive experience of last year’s campaign was a key reason for returning.
“The gaming world is huge and has been part of consumers’ everyday lives for many years. For a brand, finding a meaningful way to become part of that world means keeping up with the times. The response to our first Minecraft campaign showed that consumers, including Generation Z and Generation Alpha, are looking for experiences that meaningfully connect their digital and real worlds. The charm of this partnership is that it appeals across all educational backgrounds and age groups, from children just starting school to grandparents. And that is exactly what we want. Fresh fruit is the perfect snack in this environment,” says Köhler.
She backs up the strong response to the first campaign with figures. According to the marketing expert, QR code scans on products were more than 20 times higher across all participating countries than for comparable Dole campaigns.
“With the current campaign, we want to bring together the fun of gaming and nutrition. It is about showing how nutrient-rich foods can contribute to energy, concentration and performance – while gaming as well as in everyday life – and doing so in a fun and accessible way. The fresh produce industry has enormous potential to showcase its products through engaging storytelling. That is what it is all about: giving healthy, fresh fruit a functional role in everyday life, whether as a snack, in meal prep or in a smoothie, and integrating it naturally into people’s routines. If fruit becomes a natural part of everyday life, people are also more likely to eat more of it in the long term.”
From banana to game
For Dole, the journey into Minecraft often starts in the physical world. Seven new Dole banana stickers feature QR codes, while Dole pineapples also carry a multilingual campaign label.
“Anyone who scans the code on the product or visits dole.com/minecraft is taken to the campaign page. Stands, display headers and top signs provide additional visibility at the point of sale, ensuring that Dole and Minecraft stand out in the fruit and vegetable section – a highlight for fans and a good basis for impulse purchases. Digital support and geo-targeting with retail partners generate further attention and, in some cases, even direct consumers to a store where Dole Minecraft bananas and pineapples are available,” explains Köhler.
Online, gaming fans can find digital puzzles and activities as well as gaming-inspired recipes developed by Dole’s nutrition experts. Everyday nutrition advice and tips for gaming are turned into a kind of in-game advantage, with a focus on staying hydrated, choosing healthy snacks and maintaining energy levels.
The landing page is now available in seven languages, with France and Sweden joining the campaign as two new markets this year. “In this second phase, the aim is to use what we have learned and make the campaign even more effective,” says Köhler. “We are combining the strength of our brand, the relevance of gaming culture and the power of balanced nutrition to create an experience that appeals to and brings together families around the world – with our products as the heroes at the heart of it.”
Sport brings people together
Dole’s commitment to a healthier lifestyle is not limited to the digital world. Physical activity and shared real-life experiences also play an important role.
“Getting enough exercise and experiencing real moments together, with all the emotions that come with them, are part of our brand. In the age of AI, people are increasingly looking for genuine, real-world experiences,” says Köhler.
For the 2026/27 season, the company will become an exclusive partner of basketball Bundesliga club Veolia Towers Hamburg. The Dole logo will feature on the jerseys of both the men’s Bundesliga team and the women’s regional league team, the Tow(H)ers.
“The Dole brand stands worldwide for premium fruit with great taste, high quality and natural freshness, inspiring people every day – always with a wink – to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Basketball is a trend sport that brings all our values together and gives us an opportunity to bring our brand to life. And to provide a friendly reminder to choose the better snack, our mascots Bobby Banana and Pinellopy Pineapple will be there too,” says Köhler.
A strong signal for Hamburg
Hamburg itself provides another connection for the partnership. Dole Europe GmbH, like the Veolia Towers, is based in the Hanseatic city.
“Our collaboration with Dole sends a strong signal about the appeal and development of Hamburg as a location. The fact that an internationally leading company has chosen to partner with the Veolia Towers confirms the direction we have taken as an organisation in recent years,” says Jan Fischer, Managing Director of Veolia Towers Hamburg. “Together, we want to bring the Dole brand to life within our environment and create sustainable added value.”
Basketball is not Dole’s only sporting commitment. Handball is another part of the company’s activities. Dole has been a premium partner of Handball Club Hamburg (HCH) since the 2023/24 season, with the partnership entering its fourth year in 2026/27. The Dole logo will continue to feature on the professional team’s jerseys.
Exercise and balanced nutrition also play a role at youth level. According to the club, it operates one of Hamburg’s largest youth handball programmes, supporting around 200 children and young people from the youngest age groups through to U21 level.
For Köhler, the partnership has long since developed into something more than a traditional sponsorship arrangement. “For us, this partnership has long been about much more than investing in brand awareness. At a time when AI is becoming increasingly present, people are looking for experiences that are and remain real. That is why our mascot Bobby Banana is such a welcome guest at the arena. He helps strengthen the connection with fans, makes our brand authentic, approachable and tangible, and at the same time provides a light-hearted reminder to choose the healthier snack. For our Dole team in Hamburg, HCH matches are genuine fan moments when we regularly come together and share the excitement.”
Minecraft, basketball and handball are a natural part of everyday life for many people. For marketing expert Sonja Köhler, they offer different routes to reach relevant consumers – sometimes through a pineapple hoodie in Minecraft, sometimes through basketball or handball. And anyone who starts up Minecraft after training will already know how the game goes: “Just five more minutes!”
