• Ad Age, Wednesday, January 31, 2007 12 PM

Shrek, the green ogre voiced by Mike Myers, will be a featured addition to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Small Step obesity-prevention campaign, which encourages children and families to lead healthy lifestyles.

HHS and the Ad Council are hosting a press conference tomorrow to announce new PSAs featuring Shrek and his sidekicks, including the donkey voiced by Eddie Murphy in the DreamWorks Animation films.

This is the same Shrek once pummeled by Sen. Tom Harkin (D.-Iowa) for his promotional efforts on behalf of a sugary General Mills cereal named in his honor. "We got rid of Joe Camel," Harkin said at the time. "We've got to get rid of Shrek."

Also, McDonald's and Mars are readying promotions tied to the May release of "Shrek 3." Mars will offer a Snickers candy bar featuring green "Shrek filling" and "ogre-sized" peanut-butter M&M's.

McDonald's in July 2005 announced a two-year marketing and promotional relationship with DreamWorks that begins with the new movie. McDonald's has said it will use Shrek to promote more-healthful offerings, such as Apple Dippers.

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