Two campaigns to get UK consumers and kids to eat more healthy foods have kicked off – with retailer Sainsbury’s launching a new brand effort called Help Everyone Eat Better and ITV and Veg Power combining forces on the third year of Eat Them To Defeat Them.
Sainsbury’s will deliver its advertising initiative around the UK government’s Eatwell Guide, with actor Stephen Fry guiding shoppers toward strawberries, kale, broccoli, peas, and beetroot, rather than making unhealthy choices. The retailer is ditching the old motto “Live Well for Less” and offering up new recipes – such as a broccoli frittata and strawberry pancakes – as well as Healthy Start Vouchers in a quest to help put more plant-based foods on shoppers’ plates.
“We believe everyone should have access to healthy, tasty food that is better for them and the planet too,” Mark Given, Chief Marketing Officer at Sainsbury’s, said. “We want to help our customers shake up their approach to food by actively helping everyone make healthier choices. From providing recipe information and offering incentives for eating more fruit and veg, we have a lot in store and can’t wait to bring the nation on this journey with us”.
Meanwhile, the ITV/Veg Power campaign again will help kids “prepare for battle” before defeating the evil vegetables and eating them to become heroes.
“We are delighted that Eat Them To Defeat Them has returned for its third year and is set to reach even more children across the UK,” Baroness Rosie Boycott, Chair of Veg Power Board, said. “As our mission is to get the UK eating more veg, engaging with children on this topic is crucial as not only will it improve their health but encourage life-long eating habits.”
According to the National Food Strategy, only 25% of citizens in the UK eat five pieces of produce per day, while the Food Foundation says less than a third of kids ages 5-10 eat less than one portion of vegetables per day.
However, the Eat Them to Defeat Them campaign is one that seems to be working quite well. The coalition notes that more than 80% of school staff said kids have been influenced to eat more healhy foods, and three-quarters of children did admit that it did make conquering their fear of veg “more fun”. This year, more than five million kids will be reached through the campaign, according to Veg Power and ITV.
“This award-winning campaign is proof that it’s possible to change not just kids’ attitudes but their behaviours around eating vegetables,” Susie Braun, Head of Social Purpose at ITV, said. “We are delighted to be driving this huge alliance around Eat Them to Defeat Them for a third year, together getting literally millions more portions of vegetables into kids’ tummies.”
Among the celebrities taking part in Eat Them to Defeat Them are: Jamie Oliver, Giovanna Fletcher, Emma Thompson, Ranvir Singh, Stephen Mulhern and Amanda Holden.
