Children take over advertising spaces
How primary school students turned advertising spaces into a call for healthier food environments
- English
- Македонски
Children see food advertising everywhere, including on their way to and from school. But what if those same spaces carried messages created by students themselves?
The team from ‘Naum Naumovski Borche’ primary school in Skopje decided to do just that. They looked at advertising spaces in their surroundings and developed their own messages about the food environment they want to see around their school.
Through the activity, the students explored how advertising competes for their attention and influences what feels familiar, appealing and desirable.
They examined tactics often used to target children and adolescents, such as colourful packaging, cartoon and celebrity characters, special offers, catchy songs, free gifts, games and competitions and prizes promotions through social media and influencers and other channels such as events and billboards.
They also discussed how advertising appeals to children’s emotions by linking products with fun, friendship, belonging, excitement and reward, making them feel that choosing a product will help them fit in or feel good. They also examined how billboards are placed along routes children use every day, repeating the same messages.
By using the same spaces normally used to promote products, they showed that these spaces can carry a different kind of messages to create an environment that supports healthier choices.
“We took over this space so there would be no advertising for unhealthy food.”
In doing so, the students went beyond simply drawing attention to the influence of food marketing. They transformed a space typically used to promote products into a platform for their own voices and their call for healthier food environments in and around schools. Rather than simply being an audience for the messages that surround them, they showed that children and young people can actively call for change in the environments where they live, learn and spend their time.
If the environment shapes children’s food choices, then changing that environment must be part of the solution.
The students’ message did not stay in their neighbourhood either. The same billboard were placed near schools and in prominent locations in Veles, Kumanovo, Shtip and Chair, where other student teams are taking part in the campaign.
The billboard was also placed in a location where policymakers could see it, bringing the message created by students directly to those that can help shape healthier food environments.
How can adolescents take action?
🤳 Join the challenge: Share what food and drinks are being sold in and around your school and add your voice to #WhatsToEat.
🥪 Choose healthier options: Bring nutritious snacks and meals from home when possible and encourage your friends to try healthier alternatives too.
🍎 Share healthy ideas with your peers: Exchange simple, affordable recipes and snack ideas that are tasty, nutritious and easy to prepare.
📚 Become a food environment advocate: Use the campaign's ready-made materials to help raise awareness among your classmates.
🏫 Speak up and get involved: Raise the issue with your school, student's parliament or municipality. Share your ideas for healthier food options and suggest improvements to the school food environment.
🎯 Lead student action: Work with classmates to identify challenges in your school food environment and propose solutions that can be presented to school leaders.
📢 Spread the message: Like, share and repost campaign content. Encourage your friends, classmates and family members to join the conversation about healthier school food environments.
💡 Show what's possible: Organize a healthy snack day, recipe exchange, tasting event or other student-led activity that makes healthy eating fun and accessible.
