CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwire) -- 02/04/13 -- In an effort to recover New Year's resolutions gone off-track, Melissa Rycroft, recent Dancing With the Stars: All Stars winner, has partnered with Extra® gum to help motivate people to swap their current vices for healthier options.

To spread the word this January, Melissa hosted an exclusive panel of health and wellness experts on behalf of Extra gum to help fans learn tips and tricks for maintaining a healthier lifestyle throughout the year. Melissa and Extra gum hope to inspire positive, sustainable lifestyle changes through a compelling video series.

Campaign Highlights:

• Together, Extra gum and Melissa Rycroft are asking people to take the Simple Swaps Challenge, by making five small swapping choices and sticking to them through the end of February. It's important! -- According to an article published in the New York Times* in January 2012, a third of all New Year's resolutions are broken by the end of January!
  
• Some of Melissa's favorite Simple Swaps include:
  • Dish it - "An easy way to control portion sizes when cooking at home is to use a medium-sized plate instead of a large one. My eyes can be bigger than my stomach and I find myself piling on too much food if my plate has room for it."
  • Get physical - "My schedule can be stressful. In order to avoid stress eating, I make sure to have other outlets to relieve the stress. I'll throw on my running shoes and take my daughter Ava for a walk outdoors or call up a girlfriend and have her come over for a dance session. Ava gets a kick out of watching us and will even try to join in!"
  • Stick to it - "Choosing a stick of Extra gum over a higher-calorie snack is a small, easy change that helps me keep my resolutions. At 5 calories per stick, I can feel good about enjoying the delicious flavor."
  • Dress down - "Instead of creamy salad dressings, I use olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. Not only is it healthier, the simplicity of the dressing lets me enjoy the taste of the fresh ingredients."

Video Series Overview:

The entertaining and informative five part video series feature Melissa as the host of an expert wellness panel, which includes health and weight management personalities such as Joel Harper, Bonnie Taub-Dix and Frances Largeman-Roth. As a moderator to the panel, Melissa leads discussions on healthy living and provides relatable insight into how she plans to stay happy and healthy this year.

In addition to wellness tips, the videos will provide inspiration for the Simple Swaps Challenge so people can easily make better choices in their daily routines without entirely giving up the things they love.

Videos are available to watch on Extra gum's YouTube channel, and viewers are encouraged to visit the brand's Facebook page for additional tips, next steps for choosing and committing to their own simple swaps, and words of encouragement.

• Video #1: Melissa Rycroft partners with Extra® gum for Simple Swaps Challenge
  • Why you should watch: Melissa Rycroft talks about partnering with Extra® gum and discusses why and how she makes her own Simple Swaps. Melissa describes the Simple Swaps Challenge.
    
    
• Video #2: Meet the Extra® gum Simple Swaps Panel of Experts!
  • Why you should watch: Meet our Simple Swaps panel of experts, which includes Joel Harper, Bonnie Taub-Dix and Frances Largeman-Roth, and learn some of their favorite Simple Swap ideas.
    
    
• Video #3: The benefits of chewing gum
  • Why you should watch: The Simple Swaps panel talks about the benefits of chewing gum including staying focused and saliva creation after a meal.
    
    
• Video #4: Melissa Rycroft and Simple Swaps panel of experts talk resolutions
  
  • Why you should watch: Didn't make resolutions this year? No big deal. The Simple Swaps panel explains how to maintain a healthier lifestyle without making over-the-top resolutions.
    
    
• Video #5: Melissa Rycroft and Simple Swaps panel of experts share their favorite swapping ideas
  
  • Why you should watch: Need simple and quick ways to make Simple Swaps? The Simple Swaps panel reveals some of their biggest health and wellness secrets and tips.

For more information on Extra® gum and Simple Swaps, visit http://www.facebook.com/extragum.

About Wrigley

Wrigley is a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, and lollipops. Wrigley's world-famous brands -- including Extra®, Orbit®, Doublemint®, and 5™ chewing gums, as well as confectionery brands Skittles®, Starburst®, Altoids® and Life Savers® -- create simple pleasures for consumers every day. With operations in more than 40 countries and distribution in more than 180 countries, Wrigley's brands bring smiles to faces around the globe. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, employs approximately 17,000 associates globally, and operates as a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $30 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and approximately 70,000 Associates worldwide that are putting our Mars Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through our performance.
For more information, visit www.wrigley.com and www.mars.com.

© 2013 Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. All Rights Reserved. Extra and all affiliated designs are trademarks of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company or its affiliates.

*Tierney, John. "Be It Resolved." New York Times (online). 5 Jan. 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/sunday-review/new-years-resolutions-stick-when-willpower-is-reinforced.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

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