A group of preteens are in a field, chasing after a leprechaun and just as they are about to catch him, he screams “Marshmallow Power!” and he (as well as his lucky charms) is miniaturized. The kids are thrilled because this means more magic in every bite! As the leprechaun glides away on his flying carpet of cereal, we are shown a Lucky Charms box next to some orange slices and a glass of milk. An announcer says “Lucky Charms, part of a good breakfast. Get more magic with mini charms.” End Scene. If you have watched Nickelodeon or any Saturday morning cartoon program you have probably seen the above scenario played out over and over again. A cereal with a special candy element being toted as “part of a good breakfast” or “mom approved.” But, is this the truth? By looking at how cereal companies are advertising and the truth about their products it should be clear that cereal companies are using advertisements to coax children into eating their products, all the while sugar-coating their unhealthy side effects.
First, it is important to look at how children are affected by advertising. This brings to mind the documentary “Super Size Me.” There is a segment during the film where a group of 1st graders are shown a series of photographs and they are asked to identify the subject in each photo. The students could not correctly name George Washington or Jesus Christ but they all recognized Ronald McDonald immediately. But not knowing historical figures is the least of our problems when it comes to kids and advertising. According to one study, there are more ads for junk food then there are for healthy foods (how many times have you seen a commercial for lettuce?) and that kids see about 20,000 food ads per year. (Policy Statement: Children, Adolescents, and Advertising) So, after all this exposure to candy commercials, children are more inclined to ask their parents to buy sugary, high-caloric foods. This craving for junk food is leading many to believe in a link between the United States’ obesity problem and food advertisements. (Trubiano) In order to establish this link we must look at how cereal companies (for our purposes) are targeting kids.
If you look on the back of a General Mill’s Reese’s Puffs cereal box, you will find word puzzles, mazes, and even a checklist of things to do before you are 18. The front of the box claims that this cereal is made with whole grain, has 12 vitamins and minerals, and is a good source of calcium. In the picture, instead of the cereal being in a bowl, it’s in a chocolate cup. Of course, this is because the cereal originated from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups candy. This is the perfect example of a company clearly marketing a product towards kids, stating that its good for you, but in reality it’s just chocolate and peanut butter for breakfast. Cereal companies use all kinds of advertising tactics to coerce children into eating their food. They are even interacting with young consumers online through video games. General Mill’s popular Millsberry.com has more than 20 games and gets more than 750,000 visitors a months under the age of 18; the average user visits 2.8 times a months spending nearly 24 minutes per session (Rochman). Then of course there are the old standbys that cereal companies have always used: popular cartoon characters, athletes, and singers, General Mills even went as far as to give the popular Shrek character his own cereal with marshmallow pieces in the shape of characters from the movie. They are advertising for this cereal by putting glow in the dark watches, each featuring a “Shrek” character, in boxes of Trix, CoCoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios, and Honey Nut Cheerios (Hopkins).
But cereal companies are not just focused on getting the kids’ attention. Among all the cartoon characters and games you will find labels like “Smart Choice” and “with Vitamin D”, assuring parents that this product is healthy and good for their kids. A study done at Yale University’s Rudd Center found that cereals marketed directly to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber, and 60% more sodium than cereals marketed towards adults. Of the cereals targeted directly to children, only 8% meet sugar limits to qualify for inclusion in the USDA’s Women, Infants, and Children program, and none of them meet the nutrition standards needed to advertise to children in the United Kingdom (Cereal F.A.C.T.S.). The study also found that the least healthy breakfast cereals are those most aggressively marketed to children and that cereal companies spend nearly $156 million annually marketing to children on television alone. Researchers believe that television advertising like this is a contributing factor in the obesity problem. A study in Health Psychology showed that 7-11 year olds who watched a cartoon with food advertisements ate 45% more snacks while viewing the show than did kids who watched the same cartoon without the ads (Rochman). Cereal companies have been camouflaging the truth about their unhealthy products but with these new findings we can change the situation and start advertising healthier products.
Sixteen leading food and beverage companies have responded to a federal report that found the marketing of junk food to children contributes to obesity and agreed to change how they advertise to young children. The companies have reduced calories, fat and sugar and raised fiber and vitamins. Some companies have committed to make “better for you” foods for kids; the only problem is that the companies are the ones who decide the definition of “better for you” (Rochman). There is still room for improvement but cereal companies are making small steps in the right direction.
The cereal aisle is a goldmine for manufacturers and a landmine for parents. When you are with children who have watched television and movies it can be a disaster. Cereal companies use popular characters and fun games to entice kids into buying their products, but these sugary foods have negative side effects. Their high sugar and sodium levels contribute to childhood obesity. But now cereal companies are taking measures to change how they make and advertise their food. The changes may be small but it is good that the kids are getting breakfast with some milk and fruit.
Works Cited
“Cereal F.A.C.T.S.” The Rudd Center Health Digest. Nov 2009. 10 Apr. 2010
Hopkins, Gary L. “How TV and advertising affect your child’s health.” CBS. Nov.-Dec. 1997. 14 Apr. 2010
“Policy Statement: Children, Adolescents, and Advertising.” Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 6 Dec. 2006. 10 May 2010
Rochman, Bonnie. “Sweet Spot: How Sugary-Cereal Makers Target Kids.” Time. 2 Nov. 2009. 10 Apr. 2010
Trubiano, Laura. “Science editorial: The effect of food advertising on the childhood obesity epidemic.” Hamilton College. 20 Jan. 2006. 10 May 2010
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