Food allergies affect one in 20 children and one out of 50 adults. 220 million people suffering because of this illness not only have to endure some unpleasant physical symptoms, but they also have to face mental health issues associated with the disease, such as stress and anxiety.

A simple ingredient, such as milk, eggs, or peanuts can be a pleasure and a delight for one’s taste buds. At the same time, they can trigger a dangerous scenario for those who suffer because of food allergies. This is exactly what BBDO New York tries to emphasize through a campaign made for the nonprofit organization End Allergies Together (E.A.T.).

Titled “Could You EAT,” the PSA features award-winning chef Ming Tsai promoting an uncommon “Khil Me” food truck,” where he sells some of his culinary specialties to people with no allergies.

Most fatal allergy reactions from food occur when a person consumes meals prepared elsewhere than at home. To make eaters aware of this fact, and also of the dangers allergic people have to overcome day by day, the famous chef offered passersby odd dishes, ‘spiced up’ with toxins and parasites capable of ruining the healthy status of a strong individual.

Throughout the one-minute-long video, which visually completes the NGO’s message, viewers can see Tsai trying to explain to its customers how deadly his products really are. One bite can be just enough for one to experience paralysis, heart failure, or deep coma. He then mentions that worst case scenario is, of course, death.

The ad, which will air in movie theaters starting on July 28, sums up perfectly people’s reactions to the terrible things they hear.

Kirsten Flanik, the President of the New York-based agency, said that dangers connected to food allergies are a “significant, under-publicized issue and one that impacts many of us here at BBDO. We were happy to lend our volunteer support.”

The organization wants to educate people of all ages about how vulnerable one can feel when confronted with such life-threatening food allergies. Elise Bates, the Co-founder of the organization, hopes the PSA will make people “understand the severity of food allergies and the risks those affected face every single time they eat.”

The campaign is dedicated to an 11-year-old boy, Oakley Debbs, who accidentally lost his life after consuming a cake that contained nuts, despite having been diagnosed with this kind of health condition.

Would you expose your life to a dish that could harm you, or even worse, kill you? Then why should people with food allergies have to struggle with this problem every day? Help E.A.T. in their effort to find a cure for food allergies by donating money or send the text message “CURE” to 80077 (in the US).

Credits:

Client: End Allergies Together (E.A.T.)

Agency: BBDO New York