In Japan, milk is consistently provided in schools for school lunches. However, this practice has resulted in limited milk consumption at home, especially on weekends. The situation intensified during the COVID-19 lockdown, exacerbating issues like calcium deficiency in children and causing significant challenges for dairy farmers, leading to the mass disposal of both cattle and farmers. To address these concerns, a collaborative effort was initiated. Dairy farmers, educators, school nutritionists, creative minds, and various stakeholders joined forces to launch the social action initiative “Weekend-Milk Splash." The aim is to encourage people to drink milk at home on holidays when school lunches are not available, promoting healthier habits and supporting the dairy industry.

•Carefully devised strategies to cultivate a desire for purchasing and consuming milk specifically on weekends, aiming to promote the habit of drinking milk at home when school lunches are not provided.

•Teamed up with more than 100 individuals from the dairy industry, schools, and nutrition sector, successfully initiating and executing around 20 projects.

•As part of school classes, an initiative was implemented where daughters and sons, who are most effective in influencing parental purchasing decisions, conducted presentations for their parents.

•Additionally, lectures on weekend milk were conducted by school nutritionists. These school initiatives have been implemented across 1,125 schools and approximately 1,350,000 individuals nationwide in Japan.

In Japan, concerns arise over a growing trend among younger individuals to avoid milk as part of weight-loss diets. This has resulted in a significant calcium deficiency, with actual intake falling 200-300mg short of recommended levels, leading to issues like osteoporosis. While the MEXT has set rules for calcium intake in school lunches, the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered outdoor activities, drastically reducing milk consumption and leaving around 10 million children with calcium deficiency. Approximately 6,000 dairy farmers, producing milk for school lunches, face challenges like mass disposal of cows, with 85% operating at a loss and 40% accumulating debts. School nutritionists and concerned parents further highlight the critical issue. Responding to this, stakeholders, including dairy farmers, educators, and creative minds, launched the "Weekend-Milk Splash" initiative to promote home milk consumption on weekends without school lunches. The initiative uses the easily understandable and actionable keyword "Weekend-Milk" for sustainable nationwide adoption.

•Over the course of about a year, we collaborated with over 100 stakeholders from the dairy farming, dairy industry, school, and nutritionist sectors. We held regular Weekend-Milk ideathons, resulting in the launch and execution of around 20 projects.

•We expanded the distribution of Weekend-Milk Splash school materials to approximately 1,125 schools and around 1,350,000 individuals nationwide in Japan. MILK AD CREATOR SCHOOL was implemented, with numerous schools expressing interest in participation.

•Hosting the largest milk-only festival in Japan, the "Weekend-Milk Splash Festival," facilitated expanded connections among participants. Collaboration requests poured in from diverse sectors, including the School Nutritionist Association, camping-related companies, dairy manufacturers, and department stores.

•Awareness: The awareness of the Weekend-Milk Splash campaign among households utilizing school lunches is 25.8%.

•Intent to Use: Intentions for drinking and using milk in cooking have increased by 45%. Content viewers expressed, "I want to provide milk every day, including weekends," indicating a positive impact from project engagement.

•Consumption Behavior: 70% of individuals are drinking or using milk.

•Habit Cultivation: The habit of milk consumption has increased by 31.9%. Respondents who engaged with the content reported, "I have developed a habit of consuming milk or dairy products with my child on weekends."

•Video Engagement: Videos related to Weekend-Milk Splash surpassed one million views, receiving over 13,000 likes on X (Twitter) and over 60,000 on Instagram.

• Product Development: Milk developed in collaboration with Weekend-Milk Splash was successfully developed and sold, with promotional efforts contributing to increased purchases.