Ukraine is among top countries in childhood obesity in Central Europe. Children follow unhealthy eating habits of their families and on top of it are surrounded by damaging commercials from international and local brands that actively popularize a consumption of sugar-containing products (sweet carbonated drinks, bars, packed juices) as a cool attribute of the growing process.

Unbalanced and improper nutrition of children due to misinformation and stereotypes is leading to rapid childhood obesity, negative impact on physical and mental development of children, decreased immunity, irreversible physiological changes.

New generation of youngsters care about their inner world rather than their appearances. Body positivity is challenging present-day beauty standards. That is why we were careful with a campaign’s message. We didn’t want to scare them saying that junk food will make them look bad. But instead to point out that a healthy food would make them feel good.

Important is what's inside became our main message.

Our research showed that 70% Ukrainian schoolchildren choose unhealthy food and 14% of them drink sweet soda drinks every day.

Our main campaign goals were:

1) RAISE AWARENESS among school-age children on the importance of healthy eating practices and a healthy lifestyle;

2) DELIVER A MESSAGE on the importance of healthy eating and habits among school children, especially in the context of a pandemic;

3) CHANGE BEHAVIOUR of school children and their parents in matters of healthy eating practices through the dramatisation of a key message about the importance of healthy eating and relevant advice.

We wanted to motivate changes in eating habits on three levels:

- selection of products (various, healthy, fresh products)

- preparation (not semi-finished products or fast food)

- consumption (awareness, regularity, moderate amount of food)

Each of the series of videos and visuals appealed to one of these levels.

We collaborated with many Ukrainian influencers our campaign in various channels.

The Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska became the main ambassador of the campaign. She appeared on a national TV channel with a supermarket experience to check what kind of groceries Ukrainians usually buy. Together with a famous nutritionist and local celebrities, Mrs Zelenska starred in a cooking show, where they were talking about healthy cooking lifehacks. A Ukrainian famous master chef starred in our commercial sketches, saying kids should eat food, that make them attentive, inventive and winners. For the little ones we developed a series of cartoons, where healthy food competes against junk food in various sports and promoted it on Youtube channels for kids.

The Ukrainian Health Ministry, Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science together with Olena Zelenska Initiative started the school meals and nutrition reform. The new menu for schools with healthy recipes were introduced.

The campaign promotion was interrupted with the russian full-scale invasion in Ukraine, so we weren’t able to evaluate the behavioural changes among youngsters. However, we will continue the school eating reform by promoting healthy food after Ukraine’s victory.