Nutritiously Yours

Ever wondered why some communities eat food on a banana leaf? Or why dahi-shakkar is fed to a child before he steps out for an important exam? Yes, these are age-old traditions. But not many know that there are also deep-rooted scientific reasons behind this. And this is what Nestlé’s new corporate campaign — ask Nestlé — rests on. The campaign, which comprises two television commercials and three digital films, aims to make nutrition education more accessible, so that parents can inculcate better food practices in their children.

“The brief was to further strengthen Nestlé’s credentials as a nutrition expert, and deepen trust with consumers and stakeholders. And provide all this information in a simple manner that complements today’s ever evolving digital ecosystem,” says Alok Lall, executive director and India head, McCann Worldgroup.

As a part of this initiative, the company has launched a website called Asknestle.in, which will provide real-time and personalised advice on nutrition that is balanced, relevant, scientifically derived and can be customised for the audience. It has live-chat functionality and bite-sized content for ease of use. Rashi Goel, VP consumer communications, Nestlé India, says that during their research, they identified three main concerns which were commonly raised by parents — is my child growing right (height and weight), is my child getting enough nutrition and what can I feed my child to make his nutritional intake better. The website, precisely, addresses these concerns, by providing tools such as growth tracker, food diary and custom meal plans.

“We could have made a campaign that showcased each tool the website offers, but that would have been trite. Instead, the TVCs bring to life the essence of the thought behind the website and showcases how parents can be empowered with the right knowledge about nutrition, with the help of asknestle.in,” says Goel.

The ads, targeted at mothers of children younger than or of 12 years, have been created around the premise that children are inquisitive by nature. For instance, in one ad, two girls laugh at their grandmother for serving food on a banana leaf. While their father reprimands them saying, “It’s our tradition”, the grandmother intervenes and gives scientific reasoning behind this tradition, which she learnt through AskNestle. Similarly, a boy scoffs at his mother for feeding him dahi-shakkar before science exam, but is left stumped when she tells him the ‘scientific’ benefits of this which she learnt through Nestle’s portal.

Lall explains that these ads showcase how relationships of children have evolved with adults around them and how adults are also feeling the need to stay updated to tackle all the questions that children corner them with. The slice-of-life situations, peppered with engaging content and light-hearted banter make this ad a worthwhile watch.