Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents - Federal Trade ...

Food Marketing Activities Directed to Children and Adolescents
Carbonated drinks were placed in sports video games with E ratings. Finally, one QSR company
commissioned three CD games featuring the restaurant’s branding that it distributed with its
“kids’ meal” product; the games featured banner ads for the restaurant, and, in one game,
clicking on a branded insignia provided additional fuel for the player’s jet craft.
i. Ph i l a n T h R o P i c
Companies were asked to report on branded materials used in association with donations
to non-profit organizations, programs, or events. Several companies reported that they made
small contributions, usually on a local level, of money, product samples, and branded apparel and
other merchandise to youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts, the YMCA, Boys and Girls
Clubs, Big Brother/Big Sister, the Children’s Miracle Network, the Miracle League (baseball
for disabled children), the Make-a-Wish Foundation, gymnastics academies, arts education
organizations, camps, Bible schools, and summer programs in science, music, and art. Other
local events sponsored by companies included back-to-school block parties, “Take a Kid Fishing
Day,” immunization events, and city park and pool openings. Contributions generally involved
some kind of brand recognition. On the national level, one QSR company sponsored World’s
Children Day – a 10-day fund-raiser for the company’s children’s charities – and advertised the
event in television, radio, print, and in-store advertisements.
A number of companies provided scholarships, honors, and cash prizes to children and
teens based on success at school or in the community, which were described on their websites
and through branded materials distributed in schools and at stores. Some companies sponsored
essay contests, asking students to write on topics such as Black History Month. Other company
activities encouraged philanthropic behavior among children. One produce company distributed
thousands of free lemonade stands – branded with company logos – to children ages 7-12 who
pledged to raise money for their favorite local charities.
Some philanthropic activities encouraged children to engage in physical activities or
promoted messages about healthy diets. For example, a beverage company partnered with the
national non-profit organization Kaboom! to fund and build children’s playgrounds. 76 One
fruit and vegetable company sponsored a “Teens for Greens” campaign designed to inspire and
encourage tweens and teens to adopt healthier eating habits, while another contributed to an
organization called “Produce for Kids,” which held events at retailers to educate children about
the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables. Both companies promoted these events on their
websites and through point-of-sale materials.
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