Life. Be in it. is a health promotion and advertising charity, primarily known for its campaign encouraging people to be more active, started in 1975 by the
Victorian state government. Following the loss of government funding in 1981, it became an independent charity and has intermittently run adverts on Australian and occasionally American television, featuring the animated character Norm. The
National Museum of Australia included Life. Be in it in their Defining Moments in Australian History project.
Television campaign
The
television advertisements for the program are cartoons featuring people doing a wide range of activities, with a catchy tune "Be in it today, live more of your life". The main character is Norm, a middle aged man with a prominent
beer belly
Abdominal obesity, also known as central obesity and truncal obesity, is a condition when excessive visceral fat around the stomach and abdomen has built up to the extent that it is likely to have a negative impact on health. Abdominal obesity has ...
, meant to represent a "normal" Australian
bloke. The idea for Norm and the advertising came from
Phillip Adams and
Alex Stitt
Alexander Arthur Henry Stitt (January 3, 1937 – October 2, 2016) was an Australian cartoonist, artist and celebrity whose work is well remembered in the Life. Be in it. campaign, as well as for Sid the Seagull, and Norm, both created for a var ...
; Stitt drew all the cartoons. In the original run of television advertisements, Norm was voiced by
Max Gillies. In the 2000 revival, the voice was provided by Dr Colin Benjamin. The original theme music for the campaign was created by
Peter Best.
The program began in 1975 with the
Victorian state government, developed by the Monahan Dayman Adams advertising company,
underneath
Brian Dixon Brian Dixon may refer to:
* Brian Dixon (Australian footballer) (born 1936), Australian rules footballer and politician
* Brian A. Dixon (born 1980), American author
* Brian Dixon (American football) (born 1990), American football player
* Brian Dix ...
, former
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
er and then Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation. The original concept of 'Life, be in it' was created by Dr John Cooper and Oscar Scherl and was presented to the agency in the early 1970s.
Following success in Victoria, Dixon claimed 35% of Victorians had become more active as a result of the campaign, the federal government funded and relaunched the program nationally in 1978.
This new relaunch subtly redesigned to make the main character Norm more pathetic, due to concerns too many people had identified with him positively. The campaign also aired in the United States on local television stations during the 1970s and 1980s.
One of their early programs was to bring over
Pat Farrington, a co-founder of the
New Games
''The New Games Book'' and its companion, ''More New Games'', were resources developed for the "New Games" movement which began in the late 1960s to encourage people to play non-competitive or friendlier games. Many of the "New Games" may now be ...
, supplying her with five vans and 25 volunteers to drive around rural townships in Victoria, teaching people how to play games (
New Games Book
''The New Games Book'' and its companion, ''More New Games'', were resources developed for the "New Games" movement which began in the late 1960s to encourage people to play non-competitive or friendlier games. Many of the "New Games" may now be ...
: p22).
The campaign was relaunched in 2000, after several years of inactivity, for the 25th anniversary of the original campaign. It again went into hibernation afterwards. The Victorian opposition party promised to relaunch the campaign during the 2018 state election. Subsequently, the original artist Alex Stitt's widow called the plan anachronistic and inappropriate.
The campaign was finally relaunched in 2023 with the partnership of
Roy Morgan. The original adverts were redesigned for high definition television, and the campaign written written to focus on active again after the
COVID-19 pandemic.
State based associations
State-based associations run campaigns and health education on behalf of the national charity, including Life. Be in it. South Australia, which runs health programs at
Unley High School and Life. Be in it FunWorks in Queensland and New South Wales, which hold fitness events for youth. Previously, Life. Be in it. Victoria also ran health programs.
See also
*
Troy Black
*
Go for Your Life
References
External links
* {{Official, http://www.lifebeinit.org
Life. Be in it. Character Norm is to reappear Perth radio
6PR interview, 7 November 2000, transcript reproduced at lifebeinit.org
Life. Be in it. Silver Anniversary and Relaunch 22 November 2000, at lifebeinit.org
Australian advertising slogans
1975 neologisms
Government of Australia
Public service announcements
Advertising in Australia
Physical exercise