The 60-second cinema ad was conceived by Sir John Hegarty and The Garage Soho. It was directed by film director Lynne Ramsay and produced by award-winning production company Somesuch & Co.

SAWA, a global cinema advertising association, and the United Nations World Food Programme will air 'Feed Our Future' on cinema screens in more than 25 countries with a call to action to download World Food Programme's mobile-app, ShareTheMeal.

The ad shows a news conference with journalists trying to interview Mariam Adeke, the recipient of a 'breakthrough' medical research award. But the journalists learn that there was no medical breakthrough. 

A unique Facebook Messenger integration with the ad will aim to enable viewers to engage with the character of Miriam Adeke to learn more about her story and the issue of hunger by searching for ‘ShareTheMeal’ on Facebook Messenger.

"The creative challenge here is to find a way to engage the audience without resorting to endless images of starving children. [We] create empathy by reminding the viewer that when a child dies, we all lose," says Hegarty.

"Hunger is a major global issue. It is therefore fitting that the Cinema medium, with its global reach, should be proactive in driving awareness for the World Food Programme," says Cheryl Wannell, CEO of SAWA.

"Since 2015, the cinema medium has stepped up to support the sustainable development goals, and we are committed in 2018 and beyond to make the World Food Programme famous by using the power and impact of the cinema medium. SAWA encourages other mediums to do likewise," Wannell adds.

"Three million children die every year of hunger or malnutrition," says Corinne Woods, director of communications, marketing and advocacy of the World Food Programme.

"When partners step up, like SAWA and their members have, it helps us create a movement and generate support for our work to ensure that every child has the vital food and nutrition they need to not only survive but thrive," concludes Woods.

For more information, visit www.wfp.org. You can also follow the World Food Programme on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.