5 A DAY – Top Tips for Top Mums

Background

As part of the Department of Health's 5 A DAY programme, M&F was asked to focus the latest 5 A DAY campaign on young families. Realistic messages about eating more fruit and veg needed to reach young families, especially mums, from low income background with children aged 2-11, while recognising barriers of time, cost, cooking skills and fussy children.

Activities

Working with the Department of Health and other partners, the 5 A DAY team came up with ‘Top Tips for Top Mums’: creating a community of mums (and dads too) across the country who would share their own tips for getting their children to eat more fruit and veg. Case studies and tips were collected from 40 real mums, who featured in advertorials and local radio and TV interviews. Professional support was provided by Dr. Frankie Phillips, British Dietetic Association, and celebrity endorsement came from actor and mother Patsy Palmer, who attended the media launch along with the Minister for Public Health, Caroline Flint.

Impact

Interviews were set up with Patsy Palmer, Caroline Flint and case study mums, and pre-recorded B-roll footage appeared on eight regional televisions stations, as well as BBC Breakfast and LK today. The story was covered on 55 radio stations, and the Top Tips for Top Mums messages have reached a circulation to date of nearly 32 million.