Marketing has a profound affect on the foods we eat and the beverages we drink, yet most of that marketing is for products we should avoid. BMSG monitors the media to help keep advocates informed of the tactics food and beverage companies use to target children, communities of color, and other groups that are particularly susceptible to the health harms these products cause. Below are archives of our monitoring.
Source: Ad Age on August 13, 2013
In an effort to promote the third installment in Taco Bell's line of Doritos Locos Tacos, Taco Bell has curated videos on the social media platforms Instagram and Vine to tease the August 22 launch of the product. The videos feature the "New DLT" slogan "spelled out in flames, an indication of the spicy flavor." Taco Bell recently named the latest product "Fiery" in response to customer feedback.Source: Ad Age on August 13, 2013
The rapper has remixed his popular 2001 song "Ride Wit Me," which featured the refrain "Must be the money," to advertise Honey Nut Cheerios. The commercials featuring the new version of the song are likely intended to target youth, particularly youth of color.Source: Food Dive on August 12, 2013
Available only in Japan, the snack called "Frito Lay Cheetos x Pepsi Shuwa Shuwa Cola Corn Snack" is described as "Cheetos covered in a fizz-inducing cola powder." The product is another addition to the food industry's recent string of hybrid snacks designed to appeal to consumers by combining two unhealthy products in to one.Source: MediaPost on August 12, 2013
The latest in a string of high profile, Latino-focused beer promotions, Corona's sponsorship of Marc Anthony's tour serves as the latest example of beer manufacturers aggressively targeting Latino consumers. The campaign efforts will be multi-faceted, with Corona airing TV commercials in the tour cities prior to each concert and hosting a variety of events and promotions at the concerts themselves.Source: The New York Times on August 12, 2013
Kraft's campaign for its Recipe Makers line of meal-starters features celebrity chefs and uses the wordplay tagline, "Get your chef together!" In the campaign's television commercials, celebrity chefs Carla Hall and Rocco DiSpirito are portrayed as picky children who critique their parents' culinary skills, but overwhelmingly approve when their parents serve them Kraft products. The campaign also features digital ads and a social media presence on Twitter.Source: Ad Age on August 12, 2013
Amid declining sales, the JELL-O brand's new 'Fun Things Up' television ad campaign features a father and his son who envisions going through the same adult frustrations as his father, such as sitting in traffic and losing his hair. The campaign targets both adults and children, claiming that the "chocolaty taste of JELL-O" makes up for all of life's daily frustrations. The campaign is part of the company's attempt to move the product into the snack category and out of the dessert realm, as dessert sales are declining.Source: MediaPost on August 09, 2013
The website, available online and via mobile applications, is an example of how companies target market products to moms of color. The site will "include articles, recipes, photo essays, trivia and polls covering health, food and other topics". It "will also feature an original video series starring 'celebrity mom' Jimena Gallego (Mexican pop singer, TV host and actress)".Source: FoodBev.com on August 09, 2013
Coca-Cola's 'Don't Waste. Create' campaign encourages consumers to reuse and recycle their plastic soda bottles, and by pledging to do so, receive a coupon to buy more Coca-Cola products. The ads feature 2-liter plastic soda bottles stuffed with cleaning supplies and flowers in an attempt to appeal to a more eco-conscious consumer base and uphold an environmentally aware brand image. The campaign also targets families by offering parents a chance to win a family vacation to France.Source: Ad Age on August 07, 2013
A marketing firm conducted a consumer survey to examine Latinos' use of and attitudes toward mobile apps. Latinos are more likely than other groups to own a smart phone, and many speak Spanish as a first or second language, but researchers found that only about a quarter of mobile apps are available in Spanish. The authors of the study argue that this represents an untapped opportunity to market to Latinos.Source: Food Dive on August 07, 2013
In an effort to distance its brand from the unhealthy "Rice Krispies Treats" snack made from the cereal, the new campaign, featuring young moms, will instead market the cereal's "simple, easy to digest ingredients."
