The Outdoor Media Association has launched the Healthy Returns campaign - in partnership with Health and Wellbeing Queensland and Nutrition Australia - to tackle obesity and encourage Australians to eat more vegetables. In a campaign designed by oOh!media’s creative and content hub POLY, unhealthy food and drink advertising will be restricted near schools.
“This is an especially pertinent reminder as the new school year begins and rates of childhood obesity remain high,” the OMA said. “One in four kids aged 5-14 years are overweight or obese, with poor diet found to be a primary contributing factor.
“OMA is committed to reducing rates of obesity through its world-first National Health and Wellbeing Policy, restricting the placement of unhealthy food and drink advertising near schools.”
The Healthy Returns campaign will see new advertising signage rolled out across the country, encouraging Aussies to ‘buy in season for healthy returns’. The signs will feature four vegetables: broccoli, carrot, corn and tomato.
“By purchasing in-season produce, Aussie families contending with the rising cost of living can continue to eat well and save money,” the association said.
The OMA has gathered a group of leading Australian chefs including Trisha Greentree (10 William Street), Hamish Ingham (Redbird Chinese and Tequila Daisy) and O Tama Carey (Lankan Filing Station) to lend their skills to the campaign, by sharing tasty, veggie-based recipes to feed the whole family.
The campaign is in direct response to a recent report which found:
91 per cent of Australians are not consuming the recommended 5+ servings of vegetables per day
One in four Aussies admit to only eating a single serve of vegetables per day
Only 9 per cent of children (aged 2 - 17 years) eat enough vegetables to nourish their growing bodies.
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| "Very powerful investment": Charmaine Moldrich, CEO OMA |
“The Outdoor advertising industry is committed to tackling rates of obesity through its National Health and Wellbeing Policy,” said OMA CEO Charmaine Moldrich.
“This year the advertising space our members have donated will reach 93 per cent of Australians over the four week campaign. This is a very powerful investment in public health campaigning.
“With such mass reach, more than any other advertising channel, we are getting results. Our post-campaign research from 2022 shows our healthy eating campaigns are working as a catalyst to change behaviour.
“This year’s message is all about buying in-season vegetables to help keep costs low at the supermarket checkout. It’s timely, given the increasing cost of living in the last 12 months.”
Nutrition Australia Vic, SA, Tas, WA CEO, Lucinda Hancock said: “Recent research has shown the alarming decline in vegetable consumption for Aussie families, with 91 per cent of us not getting the recommended 5+ servings a day – a statistic we can all work together to change.
“Vegetables are at the very centre of healthy eating and a critical part of our diet for people of all ages. They offer great nutritional value and are undoubtedly the best bang for grocery buck. Vegetables contain fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins A, C, & E. Importantly they contain no added sugars, sodium and saturated fats."
Health and Wellbeing Queensland CEO Dr Robyn Littlewood said the rising cost of living was changing the way Queenslanders eat.
“A recent report found seven in ten Brisbane shoppers say the cost of fresh produce is influencing the amount of veggies they eat. By highlighting the savings, you can pocket with in-season veggies we hope we can encourage everyone to engage in healthy eating habits. This campaign is all about improving health and reducing the cost of the weekly grocery shop.”
The outdoor campaign is designed by oOh!media’s creative and content hub POLY and is being rolled out by OMA members across the country from 29 January. The campaign can also be seen on Woolworths’ instore and online platforms; online with nine.com.au, realestate.com.au, The Guardian Australia and across the Yahoo! network – who have all contributed pro bono promotional space.
Valued at more than $3 million, the Healthy Returns campaign will run for four weeks to 25 February 2023.
For more information, visit: https://boostyourhealthy.com.au/buying-in-season/
OMA members participating in the Healthy Returns campaign include Australian Outdoor Sign Company (AOSCo), BIG Outdoor, Bishopp, Blue Tongue Outdoor, Civic Outdoor, EiMedia, goa, Go Transit, JCDecaux, JOLT Charge, Lumos, Motio, oOh!media, Paradise Outdoor, QMS, Scentre Group Brandspace, Shopper, The Media Shop (TMS), Tonic Media Network, TorchMedia, Total Outdoor Media (TOM), Val Morgan Outdoor, and Vicinity Centres.
