Kraft and Masterfoods Agree to Modify Children’s Ads

Last month, both Kraft Foods Global, Inc. and Masterfoods, Inc., agreed to changes in their marketing to children after their promotional materials were challenged by consumer advocacy groups.

In the Kraft case, a print ad for Post cereals entitled “Want more Postokens?” was challenged by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nutrition advocacy organization, through the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU).

The center asserted that the ad focused primarily on the premium, Postokens, and also said that the advertisement presented information in misleading manner, leading children to believe that games on Postopia.com could not be played without codes found in Post cereals. Kraft agreed to modify future ads for products that offer premiums by prominently featuring the product message over the premium message, CARU said. The ad appeared in the June 2004 issue of National Geographic Kids.

CARU’s Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children’s states that “Children have trouble distinguishing product from premium. If product advertising contains a premium message, care should be taken that the child’s attention is focused primarily on the product. The premium message should be clearly secondary.”

Kraft responded to CARU, a unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. (CCBB), by saying, “While we do not agree with all aspects of its decision, we will modify our future children’s advertising practices to conform to the CARU ruling.” Kraft said that the ad had run its course.

Yesterday, Kraft spokesperson Pat Russo said: “We are longtime supporters of CARU and appreciate CARUS’s careful consideration of the issues here. We respect the final decision and believe this is another example of how the self-regulatory process can be effective.”

In the Masterfoods case, the company agreed to refrain from creating a sense of urgency by telling children that products are available “for a limited time” or similar phrases, CARU said. The challenge was also brought by CSPI over a print ad for M&M’s Minis in Shrek Colors. Below an image of the packaging were the words: “For a limited time, specially marked tubes contain either pretty or swampy MINIS. What will you find in your tube?”

Both CSPI and CARU concurred that the ad would prompt children to believe that they must rush out to buy the product. The ad appeared in the May 2004 issue of National Geographic Kids.

CARU guidelines entitled “Sales Pressure,” state that “Advertising directed to children should not create a sense of urgency or exclusivity, for example, by using words like ‘now’ and ‘only.'”

Officials at Masterfoods could not be reached for comment.

The CCBB’s National Advertising Division and CARU are the investigative arms of the advertising industry’s voluntary self-regulation program. Their casework results from competitive challenges from other advertisers, and also from self-monitoring traditional and new media.