VEG POWER fund launched to inspire kids to eat more veg

VEG POWER is a marketing fund that will use the top people in the advertising industry to create impactful, innovative digital campaigns aimed at children. It is part of the work of the Peas Please initiative.

It links up with Veg Cities, the future feature campaign of Sustainable Food Cities, led by Sustain in partnership with Peas Please. Veg Cities will support cities and other local areas to increase availability and consumption of veg and will tap into the resources coming out of VEG POWER. The Veg Cities Campaign Grants for members of the Sustainable Food Cities Network are also opening today 3rd May and applications will be received until 4th June 2018.

Sir John Hegarty has been supporting the creation of the VEG POWER fund and believes this is a real chance to use ‘advertising for good’. "We have hit crisis point with our children’s diets and 1 in 3 of our children are leaving primary school obese or overweight, leaving them at higher risk of developing diet related diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Action is needed now."

To kick start VEG POWER, a Crowdfund has been launched asking for businesses and individuals to support the need for more vegetable marketing.  This is about all coming together to help parents throughout the UK get more veg into kid’s bellies. 

VEG POWER is being backed by celebrity chefs, medical experts, food producers and teachers and will aim to transform children’s current attitude to vegetables. With strong simple digital content it will inspire children to embrace and love the huge variety of vegetables on offer. Currently 80% of our kids are not eating enough vegetables. The fund will also support and help parents by offering an alternative to the junk food advertising that kids are exposed to everyday.

86% of children are reported by parents to pester them for junk food. Parents and children are bombarded with advertising and promotions and currently only 1.2% of food and drink advertising spend goes on vegetables.