Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents - Federal Trade ...
Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents - Federal Trade ...
Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents - Federal Trade ...
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<strong>Marketing</strong> <strong>Food</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Children</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Adolescents</strong><br />
focused content; developing independent websites for particular child- or teen-directed food<br />
products or promotional campaigns; purchasing ads on third-party websites <strong>to</strong> promote a food<br />
item or promotion; <strong>and</strong> using a range of other digital marketing techniques, such as email<br />
newsletters, downloadable screensavers <strong>and</strong> wallpapers, podcasts, <strong>and</strong> “webisodes,” <strong>to</strong> reach<br />
children <strong>and</strong> adolescents.<br />
Many companies designated portions of their websites as dedicated child or teen zones.<br />
Other companies had independent websites for products that were child- or teen-focused,<br />
in which all of the content was directed <strong>to</strong> those audiences. In some cases, unique websites<br />
were created for specific promotions. One energy drink company closely tied its promotional<br />
activities <strong>to</strong> extreme sports popular with teens by hosting several websites dedicated <strong>to</strong> different<br />
sporting activities, such as paragliding, skydiving, mo<strong>to</strong>rbike racing, <strong>and</strong> kiteboarding. Child-<br />
<strong>and</strong> teen-directed website content often featured bright colors <strong>and</strong> graphics, <strong>and</strong> images of<br />
children <strong>and</strong> adolescents; teen websites occasionally used darker colors <strong>and</strong> graphics.<br />
Many websites allowed children <strong>and</strong> teens <strong>to</strong> view the companies’ television ads for the<br />
products, but at least one company had a policy that television ads would not be au<strong>to</strong>matically<br />
streamed <strong>to</strong> child viewers online. Some carbonated beverage companies reported interactive<br />
website features that allowed consumers <strong>to</strong> create their own videos using clips the companies<br />
provided of food products <strong>and</strong> extreme sporting activities.<br />
Advergames were a frequent feature on child- <strong>and</strong> teen-directed food company websites,<br />
appearing on websites for products such as snack chips, fruit snacks, seeds, c<strong>and</strong>y, cookies,<br />
cereals, dairy products, cocoa, children’s frozen meals, restaurant food, frozen waffles, canned<br />
soups, fruit, <strong>and</strong> non-carbonated beverages. Product packaging often directed consumers <strong>to</strong><br />
online games, with a chance <strong>to</strong> win a prize; companies occasionally rewarded children who<br />
entered codes from product packaging with access <strong>to</strong> additional game levels. In some cases,<br />
the games were designed so that consumption of the food product by the game’s characters was<br />
an objective for players. 65 One c<strong>and</strong>y website featured a teen-directed advergame in which<br />
players operated a virtual skill crane machine in an effort <strong>to</strong> retrieve c<strong>and</strong>y bars with the crane;<br />
successful players had a chance <strong>to</strong> win iPod Nanos, as well as real c<strong>and</strong>y. 66 Another c<strong>and</strong>y<br />
maker, however, had a company policy not <strong>to</strong> promote games that encourage consumption of<br />
products, while a packaged food company’s policy prohibited online games that included any<br />
type of excessive product consumption. The packaged food company’s policy also required that<br />
games targeted <strong>to</strong> or frequented by children must include an “activity break” every 30 minutes,<br />
pausing website action <strong>and</strong> encouraging children <strong>to</strong> engage in a “more active” pursuit.<br />
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