Prepared veg supplier Mash Direct has thrown its weight behind the new Veg Power campaign with a produce giveaway.
The Eat Them to Defeat Them campaign kicked off on Friday, with a 60-second advert on ITV during peak hours calling on children to help adults battle “hordes” of vegetables by eating them.
It's the first time a British TV network has donated free airtime to a healthy-eating campaign, with Britain’s major supermarkets providing £50,000 each for the ad shoot and campaign.
Mash Direct announced its intention to get on board with the groundbreaking movement by hosting an event at Belfast City Hall on Saturday 2 February, to raise awareness of the Veg Power campaign.
The Co Down-based company will hold a Veg Power Giveaway to encourage kids to eat more veg, with media, influencers, school children, teachers, and their families joining in. The Mash Direct bus, Maris the Mashcot and other Vegetable characters will be handing out free packs of Mash Direct carrot and parsnips.
Mash Direct's chief operating officer, Jack Hamilton said, “At the heart of Mash Direct our focus has always been on health and convenience. This campaign is the perfect way to engage with children and make them love the huge array of vegetables that we have offer.
“We are thrilled to be driving this campaign across Northern Ireland and we hope that the whole initiative will have a tremendous impact on the long-term health here.”
The Veg Power advert will continue to run over a 12-week period on ITV during primetime entertainment slots, as well as daytime TV. The ad will also be plugged by ITV talent including the coaches of The Voice.
Each week of the campaign will also feature a “veg of the week”, with different categories singled out every seven days, getting extra backing form celebrities and social media influencers.
Celebrity chef and campaign ambassador for Veg Power, Hugh Fearnley-Whttingstall, told FPJ that the adverts will help redress a imbalance towards unhealthy eating promotions.
'The one thing that we know from the extraodinary successful sale of unhealthy foods is that advertising works. We have been persuaded to eat increasing amounts of high salt, fat and sugar foods, and that unfortunate shift in our diet has been brought about in no small by way by bery powerful advertising.
'When you hear that less than two per cent of advertising in th efood sector goes on fresh vegetables, you know that's wrong and is a statistic we need to turn around.'
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