ROME, 7 June, 2002 -- Europe's largest communications group, Publicis, has decided to support the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) campaign to reduce world hunger, by designing a publicity campaign illustrating the Organization's struggle to combat hunger and malnutrition, the UN food agency announced today. The advertising agency mapped out a special media strategy for the World Food Summit: Five Years later, which will be held from 10 to 13 June.

The campaign, which is being produced and sponsored by FilmMaster, a leading Italian advertising corporation, comprises a strategic format, and a new claim, and press and television coverage. It will be produced in several languages and promoted internationally through the Publicis offices in over 100 countries.

Kay Killingsworth, Assistant Director-General and Special Adviser for the follow-up to the 1996 World Food Summit, has warmly welcomed the campaign designed by Publicis, expressing particular appreciation for the originality of the message which is targeted at world public opinion.

Through this campaign Publicis and FilmMaster have taken on a commitment to support the objectives of the forthcoming World Food Summit: five years later - to mobilise the resources and marshal the political will required to break the vicious circle of hunger, which currently afflicts some 815 million people. The Rome Declaration of the 1996 Summit
resolved to reduce the number of hungry people in the world by at least half by 2015.

Publicis, Filmmaker and FAO plan run the public service campaign again as part of the events that commemorate World Food Day/TeleFood in October.