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: The New York Times on January 05, 2013
In this NYT column, Mark Bittman points out that Beyonce Knowles, the new face of Pepsi, likely wouldn't appear in an ad for a semi-automatic rifle, so she shouldn't lend her celebrity to any other product that is damaging to health.Source: FoodNavigator-usa.com on January 04, 2013
According to a report released by the FTC shortly before Christmas, snacks and cereals marketed to children between 2006 and 2009 showed "minimal or no improvements" in terms of nutritional value. The report sharply criticized media and entertainment companies for failing to apply nutrition standards to the foods they promote.Source: FoodNavigator-usa.com on January 04, 2013
In the aftermath of a class action lawsuit, General Mills has agreed to remove strawberry images and list the percentage of fruit content on its Strawberry flavored Fruit Roll Ups. The Center for Science in the Public Interest describes this change as "a step in the right direction."Source: Advertising Age on January 03, 2013
Coca-Cola has released a short film that explores the origins of the brand's iconic bear family and gives each bear distinct personalities. The high-profile short was directed by John Stevenson, director of the popular animated film Kung Fu Panda, and helmed by legendary producers Tony and Ridley Scott.Source: Reuters on January 03, 2013
A new study reveals that even after playing a video game promoting fruit, children did not eat any more fruit than their control-group peers. According to one nutrition researcher, the findings suggest that marketers and other adults "have to be a little bit more convincing to get kids to want ... healthy food."Source: QSR Magazine on January 03, 2013
Jamba Juice recently announced the launch of the chain's first kids-focused products, reportedly developed with the MyPlate dietary guidelines in mind. These meals feature food items such as pizza, as well as smoothies.Source: Quartz on January 03, 2013
In this article, Robert Lustig and others draw parallels between the evolution of tobacco regulation and the mounting push to regulate high levels of sugar added to processed foods.Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer on December 28, 2012
Consumer specialist Rita Robison, a long-time critic of food industry self-regulation attempts, describes the findings of the FTC report as an indication that "much more needs to be done on [the issue of advertising food to children]."Source: Food Politics on December 28, 2012
Marion Nestle reviews the key findings from the FTC's report on food and beverage marketing to children, concluding that, "stopping food and beverage marketing to kids is the issue that matters most to doing something to reverse childhood obesity."Source: PR Newswire on December 28, 2012
"Zona de Sabor" is an entertainment news website targeting young, urban Latino Americans. The website is intended for "acculturated" Latinos. The new platform will allow users to navigate the website more easily on tablets.
