HHS, Ad Council and Warner Bros unite to address childhood obesity

Sep 11 2009

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Ad Council today launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to address childhood overweight and obesity. Featuring characters from the upcoming film Where the Wild Things Are, the PSAs are an extension of HHS’ Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention campaign with the Ad Council, which encourages children and families to lead healthy lifestyles. The ads are being distributed to media outlets nationwide this week.

According to HHS’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980, with more than 9 million school age children over the age of 6 in the U.S. considered overweight. In addition to the psychological and social issues of stigmatization, overweight children are at far greater risk of growing into adults who have cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases that may reduce the length and quality of their lives. A recent report also illustrated that the health cost of obesity in the United States is as high as $147 billion annually.

Created pro bono by Warner Bros. Pictures, the new TV, radio, print, outdoor and Internet PSAs feature characters and scenes from the film Where the Wild Things Are, directed by Spike Jonze and adapted from Maurice Sendak's classic children's story. The television ads feature the film’s young hero, Max, running, jumping and having fun in the wild with various creatures from the story. The campaign encourages kids to start their own “Wild Rumpus” by finding time to play every day and touts the benefits of regular physical activity. All of the PSAs conclude with a call-to-action -- “The Wild is Out There, Did You Play Today?” and urge families to visit www.smallstep.gov for great play ideas. The website provides fun, interactive and helpful information on physical activity and healthy eating.

“Childhood overweight and obesity are serious concerns for children and adolescents in the U.S.,” said Howard Koh, M.D., M.P.H., HHS’ assistant secretary for health. “Good health starts with healthy habits, and regular physical activity promotes long-term health benefits. I’m encouraged by our efforts with the Ad Council to promote physical activity among young people.”

The new PSAs are a continuation of the Ad Council and HHS’ successful Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention campaign that first launched in 2005 and the Ad Council’s Coalition for Healthy Children initiative, which encourages marketers to adopt consistent healthy lifestyle messages. Previous PSAs for the campaign and coalition have featured characters from DreamWorks’ Shrek and National Football League players urging children to “Be a Player” and engage in physical activity for an hour a day.

“This new series of PSAs is a wonderful extension of our efforts with HHS to address childhood obesity,” said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “Where the Wild Things Are is a classic and the film’s beloved characters will help encourage children throughout the country to become more active and reduce their risk for obesity. We are grateful to Warner Bros. for donating their resources for these PSAs.”

“Warner Bros. applauds the ongoing efforts of HHS and the Ad Council to protect the health of children with campaigns like this, designed to appeal to them on a personal level. As part of that effort, we’re happy to offer images from Where The Wild Things Are, to remind kids that being a Wild Thing means going outside to play,” says Gene Garlock, senior vice president of promotions for Warner Bros. Pictures Worldwide Marketing.

Per the Ad Council’s model, all of the new PSAs will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media. To date, the Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention campaign has received more than $179 million in donated media support.