Kellogg Will Advertise Only Nutritional Food To The Under 12s Globally In A Major Victory In The War Against Childhood Obesity

Tony’s corporate parent, Kellogg, has announced it will introduce globally “a new standard of responsibility” in its TV ads aimed at kids. It has established its own nutrient criteria for products marketed to children on TV, print, radio and Internet as well as how those products are marketed, including use of licensed properties, web site activities directed to children, promotions/premiums, product placement and in-school marketing.

In layman’s language it means that it won’t advertise any of its products to the under 12s that contains more than 200 calories per serving (about half a cup – do kids eat just half a cup of cereal?), 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 230 milligrams of sodium and 12 grams of sugar. The company says it already has in place a policy of not advertising to children under six. It means that in-house Tony the Tiger will continue on, but it will be goodbye to such licensed hawkers as Shrek.

Not only that, but later this year in the US, Canada and Mexico the company will print daily amount guidelines on the front of its cereal boxes identifying percentages of calories, total fat, sodium and grams of sugar per serving based on a typical 2,000 calorie daily diet.

ftm background

Not Much Unites The World These Days, But One Thing Most Do Seem To Agree And Act Upon Is That Obesity Is A Global Disease And Those Junk Food Ads Aimed At Kids On Any Media Platform Need To Tone Down
Canada’s food and beverage announced Monday that 15 of its biggest companies will devote at least 50% of their ads directed to children under 12 to promote healthy food choices and how to live an active life. The industry will also sponsor new public service ads under the umbrella “Long Live Kids.” They’d live longer if 100% of that advertising budget aimed at the under 12 went to promote healthy food choices and lots of exercise, but it’s just one example of how the world is on the same wave length to encourage the food industry to change its ways. Junk food has replaced tobacco as the young’s Public Enemy #1.

Further Complicated: Advertising, Children and Television
Childhood obesity will be a significant issue for the European Commission in the coming year as well as among many national governments. The picture is painful and troubling. The narrative blames advertising and television.

At Least One Thing Seems To Unite European And American Lawmakers When It Comes To Television –Those Unhealthy Food Ads Targeted At Kids Need Restrictions, But Voluntary or Legislation?
On both sides of the Atlantic the campaign is gaining steam – obesity is a major problem, it’s continually getting worse in children at ever younger ages and one big villain is television. And although some food producers have voluntarily cut back targeting ads at the under 12s, and some government agencies have proposed what they see as tough advertising restrictions, the verbiage from some lawmakers and lobby groups is that it’s not enough.

Food Ads Under Attack Again: New Survey Says Kids Think “Fat-Free” and “Diet” Are Synonymous with “Nutritious”
As the food industry globally works on self-regulations in advertising various fatty or salty foods to the under 12s, a new survey has come along suggesting certain buzz words like “fat-free” and “diet” need to be fully explained, or not used, since kids equate those words with healthy foods.

Junk Food Joins Alcohol and Tobacco as TV Advertising NO-Go Areas
The reason we and our kids are fat is because we succumb to all that junk food advertising on television instead of eating healthy nutritional salads, vegetables and the like. Actually, it’s not our fault as parents; it’s the kids fault since they are the ones who after watching all those television ads directed at them are dragging us to those fast-food outlets

Those 50% of Kellogg products that don’t currently fit the new criteria will either be reformulated or will no longer be marketed to children by the end of 2008. Kellogg says that 27% of its US advertising spend is currently aimed at the under 12s.

Having Kellogg onboard is a big deal because the multi-national maker of cereals and other foods manufactures its products in 17 countries and sells them in more than 180 countries. Its 2006 revenue neared $11 billion.

So serious has childhood obesity become globally that in many countries tobacco is no longer public enemy number 1; its junk food. The US Institute of Medicine said last year that one-third of American kids are obese or on their way.

Kellogg is not the first American food company to make changes – McDonalds and nine other food and drink companies last November pledged to promote more healthy foods in their advertising aimed at kids and also to promote exercise. Kraft has cut back its advertising aimed at kids for such sugary products as Oreos cookies.

While food companies put a positive spin on what they are doing – they care about our kids, they say -- the truth is that governments globally are beginning to get tough, and in the US several food advocacy groups are threatening lawsuits, so the food suppliers know they either come up with their own proposals or it will be done for them.

In the UK for instance, the government’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) that controls TV advertising has imposed some of the strictest rules to be found anywhere. TV ads for food high in salt, fats and sugar cannot be broadcast in programs aimed at children aged between four and nine. Next year the age limit extends to 15. Dedicated children’s channels like the Cartoon Network have been given until January 1, 2009, to fully implement measures, but they must adopt now a graduated phase-in.

Draconian as the food industry thought of those measures it could have been much worse – many nutritionists and food advertising critics wanted an outright ban on food ads before 9 p.m., but Ofcom feared that would financially cripple the commercial TV industry. As it is, it believes the food restrictions will result in dedicated children’s TV channels losing some £4.6 million ($9 million, €6 .5 million) to £6 million ($12 million, €9 million) annually.

In the US, the world’s largest TV children’s advertising market, a Joint Task Force on Media and Childhood Obesity – a private-public group examining the impact of media and advertising on children’s health – has tasked the food industry to come up with concrete recommendations by July. One member of the committee, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, said it was no longer just a national problem but rather a “national crisis”.

According to the National Health Examination Board, the percentage of American children overweight has more than tripled in the past 40 years. Is it any coincidence that US companies now spend $15 billion a year ($3 billion on food) marketing and advertising to children under the age of 12 – twice the amount spent just 10 years ago? It is thought within the advertising community that children influence about $500 billion in annual spending on products such as cereal, candy and fast food. The food industry counters it is working wonders in bringing down the fat, sugar, and salt levels.

“The initiatives we’re announcing today set a new standard of responsibility and are consistent with our 100-plus year heritage, further strengthening our commitment to helping consumers make informed food choices,” spun David Mackay, president and chief executive officer, Kellogg Company.

The nasty question a global generation of fat people, yes, including this writer, would like answered is why it has taken so long – was the threat of lawsuits by advocacy groups and threats of or actual government intervention really necessary to get food companies to help keep our kids healthy?

Kellogg Will Advertise Only Nutritional Food To The Under 12s Globally In A Major Victory In The War Against Childhood Obesity

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The State of the Print Media in the World

French National Newspapers
publishers, designs, editors all change, with comments. 40 pages PDF (updated July 2006)

Kellogg Will Advertise Only Nutritional Food To The Under 12s Globally In A Major Victory In The War Against Childhood Obesity

Further Complicated: Advertising, Children and Television

Media Measurement Moves Forward and Everywhere

The State of the Print Media in the World

French National Newspapers publishers, designs, editors all change, with comments. 40 pages PDF (updated July 2006)

French National Newspapers
publishers, designs, editors all change, with comments. 40 pages PDF (updated July 2006)