Swap Up Campaign

Oklahoma has the eighth highest youth obesity rate in the country, with an estimated 150,000 children who are classified as overweight or obese. Obesity prevalence is significantly higher among those living in rural counties, where Indigenous groups are the largest population of color. Though most teens want to be and feel healthy, our research has found that they often don’t consider how their food choices impact their health. Instead, they gravitate toward foods their peers eat, taste good, or that are cheap and convenient. We sought to deliver specific, realistic, and memorable nutrition advice that teens can easily incorporate into their daily lives. By creating the Swap Up campaign, we aimed to convince teens that swapping a side or snack for a healthier option is not as challenging as changing your entire diet, and it’s worth it to help you feel and perform your best every day.

On March 22, 2023, we deployed a Swap Up Day for schools and community organizations across the state with a like-minded goal of teaching Oklahoma teenagers about healthy food options. We ideated a concept that would appeal to both rural and urban teenagers: a Swap Up Cafe that encourages teens to “Eat How You Wanna Feel.” At the event, teens could order food based on a feeling, rather than picking an item they want to eat. For instance, if a teen placed a “Happy” order, the host then served them a healthy food that has been scientifically proven to increase one’s mood. We also created a 5 page microsite featuring a digital experience that teaches how food fuels one’s mind and body.

We created an ‘event-in-a-box’ to send to hosts with everything they would need for a successful day. In addition to a $100 Visa Card to purchase healthy food, the following physical items were designed, printed, and given in each host box:
A 20+ page event guide
A branded table cover
Tabletop menu signs
Branded magnets to giveaway
An educational Swap Up card game
A QR stand linking to the website
Branded water bottles to giveaway