- Cancer Council NSW and Parents’ Voice have named and shamed the worst examples of marketing unhealthy food to children in 2016.
- Unsurprisingly, Coca-Cola and Nestlé’s MILO take home the top gongs!
- But it’s not all bad – healthy food and fitness campaigns are making their mark…
Most parents will know the struggle of the mid-supermarket-aisle tantrum when Junior spots the latest colourful, cartoon-emblazoned junky snack.
Parents’ Voice know it, too. That’s why the network has partnered with Cancer Council NSW to name and shame the worst 2016 marketing campaigns aimed at getting kids to eat unhealthy food.
With one in four Aussie kids overweight or obese, and teenage boys eating up to 38 teaspoons of sugar a day, these tactics are important to be aware of. Let’s take a look at the “winners”…
Pester power.
These nominees feature “techniques that appeal to children, leading to them nagging their parents for unhealthy foods”.
Runners-up: The McDonald’s Secret Life of Pets Happy Meal ad starred roly-poly cartoon animals, The Natural Confectionary Company made its jelly snakes seem like a natural part of childhood, and Arnott’s encouraged people of all ages to compare their “new” and “original” Shapes.
Winner: The cringetastic “Brotherly Love” ad by Coca-Cola depicts a young boy’s idolisation for his Coke-swigging older brother.
Digital ninja.
This category is dedicated to brands who reach out to children through digital media.
Runners-up: McDonald’s Snapchat lens gets a dishonourable mention, as does Streets’ World of Paddle Pop online game (you can familiarise yourself with the ice-creams straight on the platform).
Winner: The MILO Champions Band, which comes with a 450g tin of sugary MILO, continues to push the brand as a product for sporty kids. The band tracks activity and nutrition, letting parents know their kids’ “energy balance”. Hey, we’ve heard that before…
Foul sport.
Companies that use sport to promote their unhealthy products. Yep, there were a lot of these for Rio 2016!
Runners-up: MILO once again promoted the sports angle with a slick soccer ad, Macca’s offered kids a chance to go to Rio, and official Olympics sponsor Coca-Cola truly went for gold.
Winner: Powerade, also owned by Coke, made it seem easy to score a slam dunk with their disturbingly blue drink.
The real winners…
Thankfully, some companies seem to be getting the message and chose to promote healthy eating and exercise in a much more savoury way. “Fame” award winners include Woolworths and Jamie Oliver’s Free Fruit for Kids campaign, and the Australian Government’s “Girls Make Your Move” ad.
As we head into 2017, we really hope to see more companies making a difference! And as for the rest, you can be sure we’ll be campaigning against them.
What examples of junk food marketing to children have you seen this year?
0 comments :
Post a Comment