Safefood and the HSE hve launched a new advertising campaign created by Target McConnells called Start. The ads focus in on the importance of eating well in maintaining a healthy weight for children. The campaign is the first in a five-year public awareness initiative aimed at addressing the public health issue of excessive weight and obesity.
The campaign was developed using a co-creation approach which involved working with parents to ensure the campaign is relevant and realistic. Target McConnells’ strategic planning director, Dr Kenneth McKenzie says they spoke to parents to get insight into the challenges they face. The talks prompted the agency’s strategy and creative approach.
All the scenes filmed for TV and out of home and recorded for radio were based on insights gleaned from the conversations they had with parents. A key focus was to give a realistic version of parenting in the ad. “We’ve all seen the white-washed version of parents and families often peddled in ads. That’s exactly what we didn’t want to do,” Dr McKenzie said.
“Parenting is messy at the best of times and we wanted to give a realistic window into family life. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about trying to get that one daily win. We want to encourage and support parents to persist no matter how often life intervenes to derail them,” he added. The three-week campaign includes TV, OOH, video on demand, radio and digital.
PHD is handling media planning and buying.
