UN Partnership With Advertisers Brings African Hunger into Japanese Homes
New York, Jun 30 2005 12:00PM
Pictures of children in Mozambique on their way to school picking up dead twigs to use as firewood to cook their lunch
will soon be flashing across Japanese TV screens thanks to a renewed partnership between the United Nations food agency
and Japanese advertisers aimed at drumming up support in the fight against hunger.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Japan Advertising Council for the genuine extraordinary partnership with WFP in
support of our school feeding initiatives,” World Food Programme (WFP) Director for Japan Mihoko Tamamura said today in
welcoming the year-long extension of the partnership through the Council’s prestigious public service announcement (PSA)
campaign.
“The PSA campaign will remind us of millions of children in the world quietly suffering from malnutrition.”
The value of the campaign is estimated as over $30 million a year and the new PSA will be broadcast and placed through
TV, radio, print media, and billboards from the beginning of July.
One of the world's largest advertising companies, Dentsu, designed and produced the PSA. Shooting took place at a
primary school in Mozambique where WFP provides meals affording the children better nutrition and a better chance for
education. Students appear and sing in the PSA, with the main theme being the “twig for life.” Narration is provided by
the famous Japanese actress, Yuriko Ishida.
In 2004, WFP provided 16.6 million children with school meals in 72 countries and aims to reach 50 million children by
end 2007. In poor countries free, nutritious school meals attract children to school, as well as enhance their
performance by allowing them to concentrate on their lessons. School meals also target children in communities which are
being devastated by HIV/AIDS rates, including Mozambique where some 300,000 schoolchildren are assisted by WFP at
present.
ENDS