The National Farmers Union (NFU) has worked with creative agency Cogent Elliott to create a campaign in honour of our most undervalued vegetable: the sprout.
The ‘Adopt a Sprout’ campaign tells the story of Nigel, a sprout who is a vital component of a family’s Christmas meal, but is neglected thereafter. As part of the campaign members of the public can adopt a sprout, complete with adoption certificate, in a bid to encourage the Great British public to remember sprouts are for life, not just for Christmas.
The NFU hopes ‘Adopt a Sprout’ will raise awareness of the vegetable that has a notorious reputation as being one of the most unappealing veggies. The campaign will also help introduce the public to other elements of the wider ‘Farming Delivers’ initiative which highlights the many contributions made by agriculture and horticulture in the UK.
NFU’s senior campaigns adviser, Gemma Fitzpatrick, commented: “We wanted an engaging and viral way of bringing new people to our ‘Farming Delivers for Britain’ campaign, which highlights the importance of the farming industry to the UK. We thought the ‘Adopt a Sprout’ idea had just the right feel to it, and captured the fun spirit of Christmas while also prompting people to find out more.”
Mike Phillipson, CEO at Cogent Elliott, added: “It was a great brief – we were given free rein to devise a light-hearted campaign that appeals to all ages, but stays true to the main objective of the wider campaign, which is to build public support for farmers and a better understanding of the challenges they face.”