Ovechkin gets his own store brand cereal
Who’s the guy with the toothless grin on the box of Giant Food's new limited-edition private branded cereal? None other than Alex Ovechkin, the Russian wingman who is the captain of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and also goes by the nickname “Ovi.”
Landover, Md.-based Giant Food, the official grocery sponsor of the Washington Capitals, collaborated with Ovechkin to release the limited-edition Ovi'O's cereal. The honey nut cereal will be available Sept. 17, Ovechkin's birthday, while supplies last.
A portion of proceeds from the sale of the private-branded cereal will benefit the Maryland-based Children's Cancer Foundation Inc. a non-profit that is committed to funding locally based researchers, programs and facilities.
"Giant Food has been a sponsor of the Washington Capitals for over three years, and like all fans, we have enjoyed the spirit and energy Alex brings to the game and our local community," said Ira Kress, interim president of Giant Food. "Teaming together for such a fun and healthy product is a win-win for us all. We are proud to offer a delicious breakfast cereal that will also help fund the important work of the Children's Cancer Foundation."
The cereal box will be hard to miss for dedicated hockey fans, as Ovi O’s will feature Ovechkin's toothless smile on the box and will sell for $2.69 for a 12.25-ounce box. In addition, the Capitals teamed up with Balti Virtual to bring the Ovi O’s box to life with an augmented reality game, Ovi O's Slapshot presented by Giant, using Snapchat's Lens Studio. Customers who have purchased Ovi O's can scan the box in Snapchat to access this interactive hockey game which gives fans the ability to control Ovechkin as he shoots the cereal at moving targets. After time runs out, players can share their score on social media to compete with friends or scan the box again to keep playing. Information on how to access the game in Snapchat will be released in conjunction with the cereal.
The cereal will be available across all 163 stores in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.
"I love cereal and it's a huge honor to work with Giant to make Ovi O’s and help the Children's Cancer Foundation support kids and families in the D.C. community," Ovechkin said.
The launch of Ovi O's marks one of many community-related initiatives in which Ovechkin is involved. In addition to supporting organizations that grant wishes of sick children, Ovechkin also participates in Ovi’s Crazy 8s. Ovechkin created Ovi’s Crazy 8s in 2006, a program through which he purchases and donates eight Capitals season tickets to “most valuable kids and American Special Hockey Association (ASHA), allowing fans who normally wouldn't have access to tickets the opportunity to attend games.