As of 2019, Oklahoma’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) showed that Oklahoma had the 8th highest youth obesity prevalence in the US and 17.6% of Oklahoma teens were obese. Concerning behaviors include insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption and overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. For example, only 9.4% of Oklahoma teens ate vegetables 3 or more times per day and nearly 1 in 4 (22.3%) of Oklahoma teens drank at least 1 can of soda per day in 2019. According to the Mayo Clinic, obesity increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, liver disease, various cancers and sleep apnea as well as an array of other health concerns. These alarming figures highlight the need to not only educate youth about the risks of unhealthy eating, but also to develop messages that drive them to reconsider their daily eating habits.
Research has found that natural foods are linked to higher rates of happiness, and kids who eat more fruits and vegetables are more likely to do better in school. Meanwhile, processed foods are linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression and stress. Additionally, they can affect your focus and memory and are shown to be associated with poorer attention and poorer visual learning. However, teens are more likely to appreciate the importance of food choices if they are tied to concrete, immediate effects on their lives. Gaining weight in the future, developing diabetes one day or just feeling generally better is not motivating or specific enough.
In order to reach teens who typically have a short-sighted outlook on their eating habits, we sought to associate the pros of healthy snack swaps (strength, focus, happiness, satisfied hunger) and cons of unhealthy snacks (weak, tired, moody, hungry/bloated) to their lifestyles and everyday activities. We wanted to show them how what they were eating was affecting things like athletic performance, alertness, or energy for class. Specific focus was given to rural teenagers as Oklahoma has many agricultural and farming communities who face a higher obesity prevalence and need specific, relatable messaging delivered. Additionally, we chose to use Native American talent to relate to Oklahoma's large Native American population and ensure proper representation among racial demographics.
This campaign was created using our SAVI approach (with goals that are specific, attainable, viable and impactful) and contains a 30-second flagship video along with a library of creative social assets to increase knowledge about the immediate impact of food on the body and mind. The ads were activated on multiple channels, including radio, television, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Ads on cable and television were strategically placed to air during ‘family’ times, when it would be most likely to spark a conversation between parents and their teenage children.
Swap Up’s “Revenge of the Junk Food” launched on August 12 and ended on November 4, engaging a rural audience. In total, the campaign garnered over 4.8 million views and 411,965 video completions. Additionally, there were over 78,000 interactions with the video. This campaign was considered a large success based on our benchmarks, which are calculated based on two years of historical data from campaigns run in various states and audience sizes with similar budgets. Comparatively, “Revenge of the Junk Food” garnered 109% more video completiations than expected on Meta with a cost per post engagement of $0.06, and 76% more post engagements than expected at only $0.04 each. Video playthroughs were 56% lower than expected.
This campaign joins the Swap Up campaign in impressive results across the state. In May, 2024, 80% of 203 rural Oklahoma teenagers surveyed were aware of the brand, which was associated with positive behavioral shifts. For example, campaign- aware teens were significantly more likely to report they have consumed fruits and vegetables in past 7 days. These participants demonstrated significantly greater engagement in micro-behaviors, as we all as intentions related to fruit, vegetable, water and sugar sweetened beverage consumption. Rural and urban teens who engaged with the campaign continue to associate drinking more water and fewer SSBs with better sports performance, clearer thinking and improved mood.
