Brands Change Approach After Ban on Kids Fast Food Ads

When in 2006 UK regulator Ofcom announced tough new rules governing the way advertisers of junk food were allowed to target kids, campaigners cheered while the ad execs were left scratching their heads.

The new rules stated that ads for foods high in salt, fat and sugar were banned from children's TV programming, including programmes that could have a 'particular appeal' to the under-16s.

The ruling effectively cut off one of the junk food industry's main paths to reach children, almost overnight. As a result of the ruling Ofcom expect to see the number of junk food adverts children see on the TV drop by 41% compared to the level they were exposed to in 2005. Combined with health campaigners' continuing concerns about the unhealthy aspects of junk food - this put the industry in a particularly difficult position.

Junk Food Goes Grown Up

Since junk food can't now be advertised on kids' TV the advertisers had only one choice - to make more of an effort to appeal to their parents.

A good example of this practice is the 2009 TV advertising campaign for Coco Pops. Coco Pops is a breakfast cereal primarily aimed at kids, a fact reflected by both the cartoon monkey featured on the packaging and the point that the product is marketed on 'taste' rather than 'health' factors.

In previous years adverts for Coco Pops concentrated on child-friendly imagery, with the brand's animated logo leading young kids into cartoon adventures against a fantasy jungle backdrop. Their style was instantly recognisable - fun, catchy and frenetic. However, now the tone has changed completely.

The advert opens at a calm, middle-class breakfast table with mum handing a bowl of Coco Pops to her daughter. After setting up the situation the camera pans down into the bowl itself to reveal computer-animated hippos wallowing in the milk. All through the advert the tone is surreal rather than manic. The advert has a quirkiness that adults could find enjoyable, along with a subtle message for children that this is a 'fun' product.

Sophisticated Adverts With Kid Appeal

Cadbury's have taken a similar approach with their 2008/2009 TV advertising campaigns. Set up as short films rather than adverts they communicate quirky situations (a gorilla playing the drums for instance - or a pair of cute kids performing a dance with their eyebrows).

While adults can appreciate the clever approach, less sophisticated kids are drawn in by the wacky, not-quite-real situations. Cadbury's have used the limitations of advertising high-sugar foods on TV to their advantage too. The new campaigns have been popular on the internet via peer-to-peer websites used by children and teens.

Advertisers Under Pressure

These creative approaches appear to have been a hit with both the public and the advertising industry alike. By repositioning their products companies are getting as far away from the cheap, 'junk food' image as possible. But though the advertisers are getting smarter - that hasn't stopped campaigners demanding that advertising for junk food should be banned outright. The chances are that advertisers will still be sweating under their suits when Ofcom review the regulations in 2010.