Category: Fast food
Most Australian high school students see food or drink advertising on social media at least weekly and those students are more likely to have a high intake of unhealthy food. In this Cancer Council funded National Secondary Student Diet and Activity survey, students who reported seeing a food or drink advertisement on social media at least weekly – about a quarter of students – were even more likely to have a higher intake […]
Channel 9’s popular renovation show The Block is watched by lots of children. When we saw an ad featuring two contestants walking along the street eating McDonald’s food, then telling a tradesman that everyone else is at McDonald’s trying the new chicken menu, we lodged a complaint with Ad Standards. The audience of children could be large, given the show’s popularity. We thought this junk food advertisement would reach many children and the use of the show’s stars would appeal […]
Toy giveaways are synonymous with kids’ fast food meals. US industry codes say that toys and other giveaways will not be the main feature of any ads. A US study found that in TV ads promoting kids’ fast food meals, the giveaways featured more heavily —in terms of words and visual airtime—than the food itself. This contradicts the industry codes and shows that industry codes have no impact, particularly when their compliance isn’t monitored or enforced. In Australia, the same code on marketing to children […]
Cancer Council NSW recently complained to Ad Standards about vouchers for fast food being awarded to children for their sports achievements. These complaints about the pizza, burger and ice cream chains were upheld, with Ad Standards agreeing that these unhealthy foods should not have been promoted to kids in this way. But what message do […]
Kids are obsessed with ‘minions’ and anything to do with the Despicable Me movie franchise and unfortunately junk food companies take advantage of this obsession. The Despicable Me movie was released during the school holidays, cue the junk food companies craftily adding Despicable Me 3 paraphernalia to their products and heavily promoting to children. One […]