Lunchbox maker, Sistema, wants kids to be proud of their packed lunches.

Hero creative for “Love Your Lunch” promotes inclusivity and acceptance, with a target audience of young families, including those new to Canada and with children in elementary school.

“The inspiration was born from personal experience when a team member’s daughter was food shamed and made to feel bad for something she’d brought to school,” explains Jenny Leach, general manager for Sistema parent company, Newell Brands Canada. “Through conversation, we realized this was something many kids experience.”

The campaign, by Zeno Group, was also informed by brand research revealing that 26% of Canadian parents similarly report their kid has experienced lunchbox shaming in elementary school. Black (42%), Southeast Asian (42%), Latin American (36%) and South Asian (33%) communities are more likely to say that their child had experienced lunchbox shaming than White parents (17%).

“We hope ‘Love Your Lunch Day’ can start an important conversation in the classroom and at home,” says Julie Georgas, president of Zeno Group Canada. “With the support of teachers and parents, it has the power to become an annual day and a movement that teaches kids greater acceptance and adults how to spot and address lunch shaming.”

The campaign is being amplified through paid social media, media relations and partnerships. A microsite, LoveYourLunchDay.ca, includes downloadable resources that were co-created with social enterprise Rainbow Plate for parents and teachers.