Kellogg's has pulled a campaign for cereal brand Coco Pops following the ad watchdog's ruling it breached the Responsible Children's Marketing Initiative (RCMI) of the Australian Food and Grocery Council.
It was found that it didn't represent health dietary choices or promote physical activity.
The television spot, created by JWT, showed animated Coco Pops swimming in a bowl of milk. They had children's voices and were shown to be playing a game of Marco Polo. It then zoomed out to show a young boy drinking the remaining cereal from the bowl, situated near a bowl of fruit and light milk.
One consumer argued to the Advertising
Standards Bureau (ASB) the ad had violated the RCMI, to which Kellogg's is a signatory.
The RCMI stated
that companies must not advertise food and beverage products to
children under 12 in media unless those products promote healthy
dietary choices and physical activity, consistent with
established scientific or local government standards.
The complainant said: "It is irresponsible to promote a product so high in sugar to children for consumption, particularly at a time when a quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese. We anticipate Kellogg's will assert that Coco Pops are a “treat” food, that may be consumed occasionally within the context of a balanced diet."
"[...] There is nothing in the advertisement to suggest to the children viewing the advertisement that Coco Pops should be consumed only occasionally. These highly evocative aspects of the advertisement will strongly appeal to children’s sense of playfulness."
Kellogg's, however, claimed the ad was
not directed to children, rather main grocery buyers (MGBs) and
therefore needn't comply with the RCMI. While it did acknowledge that
Marco Polo was played by children, the ad aimed to "prompt
nostalgic recollections of MGBs regarding the "fun" times
they may have experience during their own childhood". It also
called on the results of its recent Usage and Attitudes Survey
(2012), which found Coco Pops were consumerd more by 19-70 year olds
(55%) compared to those aged 18 and under (45%).
But, the ad watchdog didn't buy Kelloggs' argument, ruling it could be classified under the RCMI. It determined that while
it did show the cereal next to a bowl of fruit and reduced-fat milk,
it did not necessarily encourage good dietary habits nor did it
encourage physical activity.
Kellogg's said it had stopped airing the ad as a result of the determination. The FMCG also had a run in with the ad watchdog earlier this year but was cleared, after complaints against its Be Natural and LCM brands.
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