It was 2021. After a year of lockdowns, school closures and job uncertainty, Marcus Rashford’s campaign to #EndChildFoodPoverty had increased the value of government funded Healthy Start Vouchers. Next, he needed a campaign to drive change at a grassroots level too. He called on big Manchester United fan and celebrity chef Tom Kerridge for the recipes, and they asked The Clearing to create a brand that could get the nation cooking cheap, simple, filling meals in their own kitchens. 

I worked in a small team at The Clearing, to create a campaign brand that leveraged both Marcus and Tom’s celebrity equally. We delivering the entire project – from name, strategy and brand creation to nationwide launch – within two weeks to coincide with media coverage of #EndChildFoodPoverty.

Creating an impact

The main aim for the Full Time Meals Campaign was to increase the uptake of Healthy Start food vouchers, which had an uptake of 49% of people eligible before the campaign. At the end of the campaign's first year, uptake had increased to 71% – supporting an additional 109,976 families across England (NHS data, March 2022).

The cook-alongs were co-created with 52 A-list celebrities, with the most watched video gaining +1 million views in one day. The campaign raised money to serve 750,000 Christmas dinners to people living in poverty in December 2021.

Awards & recognition:

Featured in Creative Review Annual | Creative Review, 2023
Shortlisted for Celebrity Brand | The Drum Social Purpose Awards, 2022
Shortlisted for Social Impact | Brand Impact Awards, 2022