This January, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) will launch a new £1.5 million “Eat Balanced” TV-led advertising campaign, encouraging more British households to continue eating meat and dairy as part of a balanced diet.

Working with stakeholders and industry partners from across the pork, beef, lamb and dairy sectors, the AHDB campaign represents a first for the meat and dairy industry, delivering a collaborative and concerted message that everyone can get behind.

The campaign will appear on TV, social media, digital and supermarket packaging and aims to highlight the nutritional benefits of enjoying red meat and dairy, whilst showcasing Britain’s world class standards in food production and sustainability.

The campaign will be built around three key messages, which AHDB believes can become a drum beat for our industry:

  • Meat and dairy contain vitamin B12, an essential nutrient not naturally present in a vegan diet;
  • Red meat and dairy from Britain is produced to world class food and farming standards;
  • Red meat and dairy from Britain is amongst the most sustainable in the world.

AHDB’s chief marketing and communications officer Christine Watts said:

“In Britain we have so much to be proud of when it comes to the food we eat, how it is produced and the entire journey from farm to fork.

Our farmers operate to some of the highest standards in the world and this campaign aims to balance the negative commentary around farming as well as the importance of eating red meat and dairy as part of a balanced and healthy diet.

“The AHDB is championing a message with consumers for a bright new year – eat balanced: Enjoy the food you eat.”

Consumer testing

The campaign follows months of extensive consumer testing to better understand the needs and desires of the British public.

Liam Byrne, AHDB’s head of marketing, said:

The nation needs a bit of a lift as it’s been a tough time for everyone, so now more than ever we wanted to create a campaign that feels uplifting and reassuring for consumers who are increasingly being told by the media to reduce their meat and dairy consumption.

“As such this is also a very important campaign for our levy payers as it tells the real story of food and farming from Britain.”