BIG PICTURE
With all the media attention surrounding the rise of childhood obesity in America, it's easy to assume there's nothing good happening in the fight against the epidemic. But that's not the case in Chicago, where an organization known as CLOCC (the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children) has taken a radical new approach: use kids to convince other kids to eat better and exercise. They turned to Remedy to help tell their story.
THE PROJECT
Remedy developed the brand for CLOCC's "Go Team," a group of Chicago teens from six African American and Hispanic neighborhoods—two populations at high risk for childhood obesity. From the start, one of our key objectives was to avoid the mistake many advertisers make when marketing to 'tweens: taking a juvenile, cutesy approach. Our goal was to create work kids would identify with.
THE RESEARCH
Our first step was to get inside the head of our target audience. We visited a few inner-city YMCAs to uncover everything from the music they liked to their attitudes toward exercise and healthy food. We learned that 'tweens are heavily influenced by the pop culture geared to kids several years older. Accordingly, the concepts we developed were more sophisticated than what's typically geared to eight year-olds.
THE FINAL CAMPAIGN
Before deciding on a final concept, Remedy and CLOCC headed back to the same YMCAs—this time, layouts in hand. Much to our relief, not only did the 'tweens love the design, they also got the point. Their take on the main message ranged from, "It says to turn off electronics and go outside!" to, "Niiiiiice."
STAYING POWER
The giveaway items Remedy developed for the Go Team are distributed at the end of events, to ensure the healthy message sticks long after the Go Team leaves. The freebies include everything from branded basketballs and t-shirts, to stickers that reward kids for healthy behaviors. There's also info to bring home to family, including cultural recipes for quick and healthy snacks.
MORE ON THIS CASE
RELATED
