Cadbury has launched its first community soccer event – friendly matches at the Soweto Nike Stadium – to drive its healthy snacking campaign
Cadbury, a snacking partner for the Premier League, is using soccer to encourage a healthy living lifestyle. In an interview, Nokuthula Khumalo, Brand Manager of Cadbury, said: “Soccer is the most watched sport in the world, which is why we chose it as a healthy activity option for this campaign. [The most appropriate audience for it is] is the youth in the locations.”
The friendlies were played by two girls’ teams and two boys’ teams, who all received gift packs from Cadbury for participating.
Palesa Diphapo from Emndeni is a teenager who used to play for an underground club in Soweto, but couldn’t go far due to lack of opportunities. Now that she’s part of this platform, her future as a soccer-player looks promising. “My skills have improved too and I now have a better understanding of the game and the rules,” she says.
Soccer legend Lucas Radebe, who’s part of the campaign, says that eating chocolate during his career helped give him the energy build-up he needed before a match. “There are ingredients in Cadbury chocolate whch have nutrients needed by a player, like peanuts, which contain a lot of protein,” he explains.
“Most campaigns like these were previously held in places like Sandton. I’m very excited that Cadbury’s taken this to the locations, as children here need the platforms,” adds Radebe. “Most successful professional players who we admire today came from similar backgrounds.” Cadbury’s initiative aims to help children pursue their soccer dreams and train them while they’re still young, teaching them discipline, healthcare and perseverance. Nike has sponsored one of the soccer clubs in the project with soccer boots.
“There are no short cuts to success and this is part of the awareness I instil in the kids,” says Radebe. He stresses the importance of upholding professional values if one wants to make a career out of soccer.
Cadbury also ran a Taste the Action competition during August and September, where participants had to purchase promotional products to enter. The prizes included various electronic gadgets and airtime, with the first prizes comprising three double tickets to the UK to watch a Premier League game.
