Public Health England (PHE): Change 4 Life - Sugar Swaps

Credits & Description:

Title: Change 4 Life - Sugar Swaps
Agency: M&C Saatchi
Brand: Public Health England
Country: United Kingdom
Advertising Agency: M&C Saatchi, London
Entrant Company: M&C Saatchi, London
Media Agency: M&C Saatchi, London
Pr Agency: M&C Saatchi, London
Production Company: M&C Saatchi, London
Additional Company: M&C Saatchi, London
Designer: Jonathan Muddell (M&C Saatchi London)
Creatives: Gary Monaghan & David Fleetwood (M&C Saatchi)
Creative: Bill Gallacher (M&C Saatchi London)
Creative Director: James Lowther (M&C Saatchi London)
Outcome:
The campaign drove over 1.7m downloads of the Sugar Smart app, propelling it to the top of the app downloads chart. And these downloads changed our parents’ behaviour – with 1 in 3 mothers saying they reduced their children’s sugar consumption because of the campaign.* Our campaign became a national talking point, covered by all major news channels, with 903 pieces of content! We supported over 16,000 schools, 152 local authorities, 20 NGOs, 42 housing associations, and 500 pharmacies.
Synopsis:
England’s children are facing an obesity epidemic fuelled by sugar hidden in their food. 1/5th of children are overweight when they start school, rising to 1/3rd of children by the time they leave primary school.* Overweight children become overweight adults, and overweight adults are prone to life-threatening diseases like heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes.**Children are consistently over-consuming sugar, with many eating their body weight in sugar cubes every single year!*** Brief: To motivate and support families to cut sugar intake to within new government guidelinesObjectives:•To educate families on the levels of sugar in everyday products•To encourage families to cut sugar in their diet•To drive downloads of the Sugar Smart app to support sustained changes to daily habits* (NCMP, England 2014-5)** Singh AS, Mulder C, Twisk JW, van Mechelen W, Chinapaw MJ. (2008) Tracking of childhood?overweight into adulthood: a systematic review of the literature.
Strategy:
Target audience: Change4Life targets mums and dads of primary school age children. Data gathering and insights: The main reason sugar consumption is out of control is because parents simply don’t realise how much is ‘too much’, or where hidden sugar is lurking.* Visualizing physical cubes helps parents understand the sheer volume of sugar in these everyday products, and consequently reduces those product’s attraction.** Relevance to platforms: Making the mobile the heart of our campaign was a no-brainer. Mobile is central to these people’s lives, with 83% admitting their first port of call for information is their phones, and 80% regularly downloading apps***. Approach: The campaign capitalises on the core insight of ignorance of sugar content. Firstly, we alert parents to the link between sugar and health harms. Secondly, we motivate parents visualise hidden sugar. Thirdly, we enable parents to take control of sugar intake using the app.
Campaign Description:
The Sugar Smart app reveals the shocking levels of hidden sugar in everyday foods and drinks. Sugar content is revealed in sugar cubes via a barcode scan, offering a tangible and recognisable visual to the consumer – a consumer who finds understanding nutrition labels challenging. In our TVC, Mum is cast as the ‘hero’, using the app to help her family stay within the daily recommended sugar limit. Meanwhile, an online video shows a boy made out of sugar, bringing to life the shocking fact that 5 year olds eat and drink their own body weight in sugar each year.
Execution:
Implementation: The campaign lived across TV and multiple social platforms to interrupt sugar purchase and consumption, but all activity pointed to the Sugar Smart app. A partnership with My Supermarket highlighted sugar levels to parents online food shopping at point of purchase.Digital display and biddable drove app downloads, whilst syncing TV and digital ads interrupted sugary product advertising through the second screen. A schools pack distributed in 3.6m book bags alerted parents to the daily sugar limit and offered teachers a resource to engage pupils on food choices, and follow-up eCRM gave parents alternatives to ‘worst offender’ foods and drinks. Retail and product partners including the leading supermarkets offered £2 million worth of healthy choice discounts. To maximise PR beyond the launch, we worked with celebrity mum Jamelia and TV nutritionist, Amanda Ursell via social channels, overcoming confusing consumer issues such as labelling and portion sizes.