£4.5m Change4Life multi-channel campaign aims to cut children's snacking

Change4Life, part of Public Health England (PHE), has launched a new £4.5 million digital campaign designed to better educate young children and their parents about snacking healthily.

The campaign features a TV advert created by M&C Saatchi, as well as radio ads and social media posts featuring animation by Aardman, while a roadshow will also be taking place across the country to bring its message - 'Look for 100 calories snacks, two a day max' - closer to its target audience.

Additionally, shoppers will see collateral from the campaign in supermarkets throughout the UK to encourage them to make healthier snack choices, after the National Diet and Nutrition Survey found that the average child in Britain consumes around 400 biscuits every year, alongside 120 cakes, 100 portions of sweets and over 150 sugary drinks.

In a bid to prevent children's health from being adversely affected, PHE has also relaunched its Be Food Smart app to allow parents to scan food packets in shops to find out more about a product's sugar, fat and calorie content so they can make better-informed healthier choices.

Change4Life hopes that the timing of its campaign will help towards its desired results, with PHE marketing director Sheila Mitchell commenting: "January is a key time for people to reflect on their lifestyles and is always an excellent opportunity to communicate our messages."