Pledge Your Plate on World Hunger Day

Today, you are encouraged to share a picture of your empty plate, and tag it with the hashtags #PledgeYourPlate and #addhope.

The hope is that it will create awareness about world hunger, and especially hunger in South Africa. KFC’s Add Hope initiative highlights the plight of the estimated 3.2 million children in South Africa that lives with hunger this World Hunger Month.

With its first-ever TV advert – illustrated entirely by drawings done by some of the 100 000 children fed by Add Hope each day the advert extends on
this social responsibility platform.

Created by Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg the advert tells the story of how a nutritious meal has the power to transform a child into one with a bright
future. The world depicted in the advert is based entirely on 1 000 drawings by 250 children at Afrika Tikkun, one of Add Hope’s national beneficiaries.

The advert sees an undernourished girl who is handed an Add Hope bowl – and tells the story of how the simple act of receiving regular, nutritious meals changes her life by helping her develop into a thriving, vibrant, and hope-filled young child. With her tummy full and her future bright, she
passes an Add Hope bowl onto another malnourished child – and the cycle continues.

Educational Psychologist Juliana Mendonça, from Spero Wellness Centre, says that children often express themselves through their drawings, which can help psychologists interpret a child’s level of cognitive development and how they feel about themselves and the world around them.

“Children make use of many cognitive processes such as visual memory, attention, scanning, strategic thinking, and decision making whilst drawing. They are able to engage with their imagination and essentially create a physical representation of what they have in mind. When a child does not get the right nutrients and nourishment, the brain does not develop as it should and neither do the gross motor skills, so you will see a drop in concentration ability and memory. These are crucial in learning environments,” she says.

The O&M JHB team built a physical set from the drawings and used the Afrika Tikkun childrens’ drawings to animate the advert and bring this story of hope to life.

“We wanted to tell the Add Hope story through the eyes of a child. These unique and wonderful real drawings help deliver a very important message about the impact a healthy meal has on a child’s life,” says Tracy-Lynn King, Copywriter at O&M JHB.

The O&M JHB team entrusted Director Jono Hall and the team from Darling Films with the delicate task of bringing this story of hope to life. Hall’s
approach ensured that the children drew every element and detail on the shoot. These drawings were used to build a physical set to create a world
for the animated characters.

“The beautiful part of making this commercial was the surprises. With each new batch of drawings came these unexpected gems, crazy and wonderful little characters, beautiful pictures of houses, trees, cars, plants and animals – all these amazing, unexpected things drawn in ways that we couldn’t have come up with if we’d tried for weeks. That’s ultimately what gives the story its truly one-of-a-kind visual heart,” says Darling Films executive
producer, Melina Mc Donald.

The first-ever Add Hope TV advert is currently on the air. Add Hope runs year round on KFC menu boards and uses the power of a simple R2 donation to help make a difference in the lives of millions of hungry children in South Africa. The initiative has raised over R263 million in the fight against
hunger during its six year history, and currently feeds more than 100 000 children across the country every day, helping them learn, grow and thrive.