Many Americans have seen the ads urging them to help hungry children in various countries across the world, but many never see the hunger that is right in front of their eyes.
One organization is flipping this narrative by producing public service announcement ads that appear to be calls to action for wealthy foreigners to help end hunger in the U.S.
One ad shows a German woman discussing the difficulties an American girl faces because she is hungry. Another shows a Chinese businessman walking through a grocery store before asking people to help those in need.
Great Nations Eat, the organization that created the ads, said the ads are meant to point out that the U.S. is home to more hungry people than many other countries, depite its wealth, Thu-Huong Ha reported for Quartz.
“It’s the shock factor: A lot of people are shocked by the fact that the U.S. is doing so poorly compared to other countries,” a spokesperson for Great Nations Eat said.
A 2012 Pew study reported that 24 percent of Americans had been unable to afford food at some point in the past 12 months, Ha explained.
Watch the video below to see one of the ads that will be running on cable and network television stations this fall.
Related links:
1 in 3 parents are worried their child won't eat before home room
New study sheds light on effects of Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
Editorial: Ending world hunger: Freedom, families important for progress
Shelby Slade is a writer for Deseret News National. Email: sslade@deseretdigital.com, Twitter: shelbygslade.