Sugar. Humans love the stuff and that is doing us harm, our next generation especially. IPG Health’s Area 23 has worked with New York global non-profit organisation, Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) to grow awareness about the hidden sugars in many of the foods we eat, often to make them more “desirable”. There are currently at least 150 different names for sugar in 74% of packaged goods in the US and most people cannot distinguish them, which makes the need for education even more critical.
The campaign, called Lil Sugar, is built around the character, Lil Sugar, a cunning sugar cube and master of disguise whose primary goal is to ensure that no one recognises who or what it truly is or where it’s hiding until it’s too late. Lil Sugar is introduced in an original song and animated hip-hop music video that features Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of RUN DMC as its voice. The hip-hop legend, community advocate, and health enthusiast uses hard-hitting raps and unapologetic swagger to reveal Lil Sugar’s sinister strategy of stealthily making his way into various foods that children and families eat.
The campaign’s timing is particularly important. Obesity rates among children ages 2 through 17 have increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due to a combination of factors such as school closings, shutdowns of organised youth sports, and limited after-school activities, coupled with challenges in accessing fresh nutritious foods, and increased consumption of comfort foods that contain excessive amounts of fat and sugar. These young people are heading towards a future that is likely to involve type 2 diabetes, heart disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD) as well as other health issues.
“Health advocacy is a passion of mine, and music is the ultimate form of expression when it comes to sharing important health information within our communities,” Darryl DMC McDaniels stated. “I am honoured to lend my voice to represent Lil Sugar and hope that we will inspire young people everywhere to make conscious decisions about nutrition and their well-being.”
“We wanted to create a character like Lil Sugar that would resonate with both parents and children and educate them on the harmful effects of consuming too much sugar,” added Tim Hawkey, chief creative officer of AREA 23. “Working with a legend like DMC enables the campaign to reach key audiences, particularly those in communities that have been economically and socially marginalised, and to do so in a fun and engaging way.”
In addition to the song and music video, the campaign includes an accompanying website, an interactive app, and a children’s book, Lil Sugar Master of Disguise, with a foreword by Dr Olajide Williams, founder of Hip Hop Public Health, associate dean of community research and engagement and tenured professor of neurology at Columbia University, and chief of staff of the department of neurology at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
“Childhood obesity continues to be one of the most pressing health issues facing young people and COVID-19 has magnified it,” Dr Williams noted. “The goal of Lil Sugar is to arm parents, children, educators and the general public with the tools they need to be aware of and take action against the harmful consequences of consuming too much sugar. We look forward to continuing this campaign and working with a variety of partners to spread the word about Lil Sugar.”
Learn more about Lil Sugar here.
The collaborative team behind the creation and launch of Lil Sugar includes AREA 23, an IPG Health Company, Hip Hop Public Health, Zombie, Canja, Blurred Vision Entertainment, BizSys, Asteroide, Produceria, Darryl DMC McDaniels, and Finn Partners.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Area 23, an IPG Health Company
Chief Creative Officer: Tim Hawkey
Executive Creative Director: Elliot Langerman
Creative Team: Thiago Fernandes, Fabio Rodrigues, Eduardo Tavares, Arthur Daraujo, Widerson Souza, Connor Reilly, John Roberts & Angela Williams
Production & Technology: Jennifer Ma, Bill Hanff, Chinkara Singh, Joel Herold, Frank Laport, Aaron Stack
Developers: Daniel Englert & Kary Huang
UX Architecture: Matt Piwowarsky & Peter Mylonas
Broadcast Production: Michael Glennon & Anna Lopez
Medical: Wolf Gallwitz, PhD & Aldacilene Souza da Silva, PhD
SVP, Editorial Director – Fritznel Loriston
Editors: Jason Marin, Pete Res, Cait Gallagher, Will Randick, Madeleine Disner, Aja Horowitz,
Elisabeth Fetterman & Joanna Chlebus
Corporate Communications: Chido Tsemunhu & Jessica Spano
Client: Hip Hop Public Health
Founder & Board Chair: Dr Olajide Williams
Executive Director & CEO: Lori Rose Benson
Advisory Board Member & Music Performed by Darryl DMC McDaniels
Board Member: Eric Pliner
Chief Strategy Engagement Officer: Patrice Webb
Chief Programs Operation Officer: Lindsay Harr
Marketing Strategist: Mariam Bekele
Chief Growth Advisor: Melinda Gould
Health Education Content Reviewers: Andrew Milne & Vanessa Sawyer
Composer, lyricist, producer: Q. Worthy (Blurred Vision)
Lyricist: BJ Gray (Blurred Vision)
Advisory Board Member: Tony Drootin (Sound on Sound Studios)
Special Thanks: Erik Blamoville, Jonathan Bloom
Production Company: Zombie Studios
Director: Paulo Garcia
Creative Director: Daniel Salles
Executive Producer: Nathalia Gouveia
Lead Art Director & Concept Art: Marcelo Garcia
Animation Producer: André Carvalho
Audio: Canja Audio Culture
Motion Graphics: BizSys
Post-Production: Asteroide Films
Production: Produceria
PR: Finn Partners
