Kellogg Co. will quit using a kids’ print ad that touts premiums, rather than products.
The ad came under fire for violating the guidelines of the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the National Advertising Review Council. The ad focused not on products, but on premiums— codes that kids use to play games on The Walt Disney Co.’s Virtual Magic Kingdom gaming Web site VMK.com. That’s against CARU guidelines because it may confuse kids about what is being advertised.
Kellogg told CARU that the ad was intended to introduce kids to the Disney site and to a “Conquer the Sea” game on Kellogg’s own site, Kellogg’s FunKTown. The ad is running in some November issues of kids’ magazines, but Kellogg won’t use it again, and will keep CARU’s admonishment in mind with future ads.
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