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>Food</strong> <strong>Marketing</strong> Activities Directed <strong>to</strong> <strong>Children</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Adolescents</strong><br />
with food product logos was used by players. In New York City, one beverage company<br />
sponsored a television program, directed <strong>to</strong> high school students, which provided updates on area<br />
high school games.<br />
Youth-related promotional activities with professional athletic teams or athletic associations<br />
often involved “kids clubs” or “kids day” events. Events or participa<strong>to</strong>ry activities for young<br />
people included opportunities <strong>to</strong> meet <strong>and</strong> have pho<strong>to</strong>s taken with players, serve as bat boy/girl,<br />
practice pitching, perform a coin <strong>to</strong>ss, participate in pre-game parades, attend parties, win free<br />
tickets, or join youth fan clubs. In addition, some companies sponsored athletic camps, clinics,<br />
<strong>and</strong> training programs, including sweepstakes for children <strong>and</strong> adolescents <strong>to</strong> win a place in these<br />
programs. One beverage company co-sponsored athletic <strong>to</strong>uring events, drawing players from<br />
various professional teams <strong>to</strong> play exhibition basketball games. Product samples were offered at<br />
these events, as well as at other summertime basketball <strong>to</strong>urnaments in outdoor parks.<br />
To reach adolescents, food <strong>and</strong> beverage marketers <strong>and</strong> QSRs sometimes focused on<br />
sponsorship of “extreme sports” or action sports, which are popular among teens. A snack<br />
meat br<strong>and</strong> sponsored the Dew Action Sports <strong>to</strong>ur, receiving exclusive br<strong>and</strong>ing at the<br />
<strong>to</strong>ur’s skateboarding park. Another company sponsored extreme sports events – including<br />
skateboarding, in-line skating, <strong>and</strong> bicycle stunts – <strong>to</strong> promote its carbonated drinks <strong>and</strong><br />
smoothies. A breakfast cereal br<strong>and</strong> co-sponsored Sports Illustrated for Kids’ national talent<br />
search, the Next Snow Search 2006, which aimed <strong>to</strong> find the next generation of extreme skiers<br />
<strong>and</strong> snowboarders <strong>and</strong> was open <strong>to</strong> boys <strong>and</strong> girls ages 10-15; the company had posters, banners,<br />
inflatables, a spokescharacter mascot, <strong>and</strong> a br<strong>and</strong>ed “fun zone” at the event site. One producer<br />
of energy drinks focused most of its promotional efforts on extreme sports, sponsoring athletes,<br />
teams, <strong>and</strong> competitive events for activities such as mo<strong>to</strong>rcycling, bicycling, au<strong>to</strong> racing,<br />
snowmobiling, kayaking, skiing, swimming, diving, surfing, snowboarding, skating, skydiving,<br />
paragliding, <strong>and</strong> various other wind/water sports.<br />
g. PR o d u c T Pl a c e m e n T s<br />
Product placements occurred when food <strong>and</strong> beverage products or product br<strong>and</strong>ing were<br />
integrated in<strong>to</strong> the s<strong>to</strong>ryline of a movie or television program. Carbonated beverages, including<br />
energy drinks, were placed in various television programs that companies reported as appealing<br />
<strong>to</strong> adolescents. 73 Beverage placements occurred in some of the <strong>to</strong>p broadcast programs watched<br />
by teens, such as The Simpsons <strong>and</strong> Family Guy. Placement could include a character drinking a<br />
soda or offering a can <strong>to</strong> another character, the can or bottle appearing on a table or a refrigera<strong>to</strong>r<br />
shelf, a character mentioning the product in dialogue, or a product logo appearing on a T-shirt<br />
or other item, such as a cooler. Other television programming in which product placements<br />
49