24 September, 2004
Willie Munchright comes to New Zealand screens
A small purple clay figure called Willie Munchright, along with his equally colourful friends, will debut on TV2 this
Sunday – the start of a television series aimed at educating and entertaining young New Zealanders with nutrition and
physical activity messages.
The series is an initiative developed under the auspices of the Health of our Nation / New Zealand Food Industry Accord.
The recently-launched Accord was signed on behalf of more than 100 food retailers, manufacturers, advertisers,
advertising agencies and media organisations in support of the Ministry of Health’s Healthy Eating / Healthy Action
strategy, announced earlier this year.
Willie Munchright is a non-branded, television series provided at no cost by the industry with the aim of helping
children better understand food, nutrition and physical activity. The series covers a number of topics including:
everyday and sometimes foods, trying new foods, balanced diet, grains, vegetables, fruit, milk, proteins, sugar, fat,
breakfast, snacking and being active.
The Willie Munchright initiative is a co-operative venture between Television New Zealand (TVNZ), McDonald’s Restaurants
(New Zealand) Ltd and DDB Advertising.
TVNZ has provided free airtime for the year-long programme on TV2. Willie Munchright has been gifted by McDonald’s NZ
from a series originally developed in the United States. DDB Advertising, working with the support of Digital Post and
Voice Talent, has taken the original series and replaced the American accents with New Zealand voices, while all the
scripts have been amended to reflect best-practice, New Zealand nutrition and physical activity messages.
Jeremy Irwin, Executive Director, Association of New Zealand Advertisers Inc, says Willie Munchright is a significant
example of how industry partners can support the Accord. The programmes have been developed in consultation with the
Ministry of Health and after feedback from other organisations, including the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation.
“This series is intended to provide nutrition information specifically designed to appeal to children. The campaign is
only one of a number of Food Industry, Accord initiatives that are positive proof that we are serious about making our
contribution to addressing obesity,” said Mr Irwin.
ENDS