Jun 30, 2008 6:04 AM, PROMO Xtra, By Amy Johannes

Wise Snack Foods is giving consumers free samples and games cards to promote its salty snacks.

Wise Snack Foods is hitting the streets of New York City and Boston with brand ambassadors to talk up its products through a sampling campaign.

The “Snack Squad” is out in force hitting high traffic events and locations in the cities handing out samples of its 25-cent bags of Cheez Doodles and Wise Potato Chip varieties, and to talk up its sponsorship as the official potato chip and Cheez Doodle of the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. Major League Baseball players David Oritz of the Red Sox and Jose Reyes of the Mets appear on special packaging in their respective markets. The goal: to raise brand awareness and get more snacks in people’s hands.

Brand ambassadors will visit more than 35 events, including baseball games, street festivals, road races and tourist attractions, such as the Statute of Liberty and Faneuil Hall in Boston targeting young consumers, particularly Hispanic, Larry Rothstein, president of Source Communications, the agency handling the campaign, said. At each location, teams will hand out Wise Snacks, T-shirts and mouse pads with the snack samples through July 13.

In addition, the squad will give passersby Wise-branded game pieces. Recipients visit www.wisesnacksquad.com and enter their code to find out what prize they won. Prizes include participating in on-field batting practice, game tickets, round-trip Amtrak tickets and HP notebook PCs.

“We wanted to go on the streets,” Rothstein said. “It makes sense to be where consumers are and where they are buying the products.”

People can find upcoming Snack Squad appearances on the Web site.

Wise Snack Foods is already seeing an uptick in sales from the campaign, which kicked off in May. A similar promotion last year using the star power of Ortiz and Reyes resulted in a 15% sales increase during the campaign, Rothstein said.

The effort is being marketed via subway ads in New York, as well as radio spots. In Boston, Wise is supporting the campaign with subway interior cards and platform posters, radio and TV spots.

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