Monday, October 25, 2010

Disney's "Magic of Healthy Living"

(Image: www.disneychannelmedianet.com)

Magic of Healthy Living

By: Diana Truss

In an effort to helping children lead healthier lifestyles, Disney kicked off a public relations campaign entitled “Magic of Healthy Living”, in order to educate children on the importance of healthy eating and leading an active lifestyle. The campaign was launched on September 30, 2010 and will continue for an entire year.

The goal of the campaign is to inform children on the importance of eating healthy as well as maintaining an active lifestyle. Disney understands the value and benefit of eating healthy and wants children to engage in this lifestyle. Disney paired with First Lady Michelle Obama and various Disney Channel stars, such as Nick Jonas, Brenda Song, Alyson Stoner and Tiffany Thornton to deliver public service announcements that will air on the Disney Channel, Radio Disney, Disney.com, Disney XD and the ABC network.

There will also be two web sites available for parents and children to access who want to learn more about the campaign’s efforts. These web sites can be found at Disney.com/healthyfun and Family.com/healthymagic. The web sites feature healthy recipes, tips for healthy living and exercise suggestions.

Starting October 21, 2010, Disney is featuring a national essay contest through the campaign called Magic of Healthy Living the Weekend, where children can submit ideas about how to live a smart, healthy lifestyle at home, school or in their community. There will be 50 winners across the United States who will have the opportunity to spend the weekend at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Along with the campaign, Disney will give a $1 million grant in order to build gardens and play spaces in 10 underprivileged communities around the nation. Disney will team up with KaBOOM, a non-profit organization whose vision is to provide playgrounds for every child within walking distance.

In my opinion, Disney’s multimedia initiative is very effective in delivering their messages by having Disney Channel stars that kids recognize and look up to discuss healthy living. The fact that Michelle Obama also appears in the campaign is effective as well. Obama is extremely passionate about eating healthy and is highly recognized by families. It is effective and appealing to have celebrities deliver information regarding nutrition because it grabs the attention of parents and children when they see famous teenagers who they love to watch on television and in movies. Also, Michelle Obama has a reputation for eating smart and parents are going to listen to what she has to say.


No comments: