Feeding America and the Ad Council Show That When People Are Fed, Futures Are Nourished

Feeding America and the Ad Council, in partnership with fluent360, today launched a new fully-integrated PSA campaign designed to inspire conversation about and drive passion for the issue of ending hunger in the United States. "The Full Effect" highlights the impact of food on people's lives and was developed to show when people are fed, futures are nourished, and individuals go from living, to truly thriving. Through short vignettes, the PSA shows the everyday joy of a child receiving a science fair award, and thriving as a working mom, to the bigger life achievements celebrating a graduation with family.

According to recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), nearly 34 million people lived in food insecure households in 2021. In that same period, more than 9 million children lived in a food insecure household.  While the rates of food insecurity declined in 2021, including among Black and Latino individuals, there remains a wide racial disparity in its impact – Black individuals were almost three times more likely, while Latino individuals were 2.5 times more likely, to face hunger than their white counterparts.

To address this critical issue, the Ad Council and Feeding America partnered with fluent360 on this effort to raise awareness and inspire people to take action in the nation-wide movement to end hunger. Directed by Dan Addelson, the new PSA highlights the impact of food on people's lives and how a meal goes beyond solely nourishing our bodies. The PSA asks the public to join the movement to end hunger at FeedingAmerica.org/ActNow by donating, volunteering, or advocating.

"When you're fed, you're fueled to take on any challenge and are set up to thrive," said Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign Development Officer at the Ad Council. "With this powerful new creative, we're rallying individuals and communities to join the movement to end hunger in America. By taking action and raising awareness, we have the power to make a real difference in the lives of people impacted by food insecurity."

"There is still work to be done to ensure that the 34 million people in the United States who face hunger receive the food they need to thrive," said Jennifer Polk, Chief Marketing & Digital Experience Officer for Feeding America. "These new PSAs will help us share stories of how access to nutritious food is essential for each of us to reach our full potential and reminds us that we can all help to create positive change in our communities to ensure that no one goes hungry in America."

"Food insecurity is one of the most devastating issues facing Americans and specifically people of color, who are sadly over indexing at an alarming rate. And this includes households with children," said Danielle Austen, Founder and CEO of fluent360. "As not only marketers, but advocates for the multicultural community, partnering with Feeding America and the Ad Council was mission driven and aligned with our own values."

Developed by fluent360, a multicultural agency with deep expertise across African American, US Hispanic, Asian American, and LGBTQ+ audiences, the new campaign platform and strategy is designed to reach a total market audience and was driven by insights from Black and Latino audiences. The fully integrated national campaign includes broadcast, online video, radio, print, digital banners, and out-of-home (OOH) assets, all in English and Spanish. The campaign was tested through qualitative and quantitative research among individuals from various backgrounds and communities, including people who have lived experiences with food insecurity. All PSA materials drive audiences to FeedingAmerica.org/ActNow in English and FeedingAmerica.org/HazTuParte in Spanish where they can learn more about the issue and find ways to support neighbors facing hunger in their communities.

The campaign will also feature co-created custom content produced by NBCUniversal. The NBCUniversal PSAs will benefit from generous guaranteed donated media support across NBCUniversal properties.

Feeding America's work has made a significant impact in the fight against hunger in America. In 2021 alone, more than 53 million people relied on the charitable food system for assistance and the Feeding America network of food banks distributed over 5.5 billion meals to people in need. According to tracking research provided by The Harris Poll, the partnership between the Ad Council and Feeding America, which began in 2008 to raise awareness of the issue, has yielded significant results. The organizations have driven a 33% increase in the percentage of individuals who intend to act with Feeding America to help people experiencing food insecurity. The organizations have also seen a dramatic increase in the proportion of individuals who say they took action in the past year to help people facing hunger, from 3% in 2008 to 29% in 2022.