Top food and beverages firms, including Mondelez, Unilever and McDonald’s, have committed to stop advertising and promotional activities targeted at children below 12 years across platforms as part of a new global pledge to step up responsible marketing. The move expands upon a previous pledge, which was largely limited to mass adverting on TV and […]
Top food and beverages firms, including Mondelez, Unilever and McDonald’s, have committed to stop advertising and promotional activities targeted at children below 12 years across platforms as part of a new global pledge to step up responsible marketing.
The move expands upon a previous pledge, which was largely limited to mass adverting on TV and in print titles.
The new scheme extends restrictions on advertising to children to cover outdoor ads, radio, cinema, direct marketing, mobile and SMS marketing, interactive games, DVDCD-ROM and product placement.
For example, Mondelez’s Oreo biscuits and Nestle’s Maggi noodles and pasta, for example, show children in their ads and frequently run below-the-line promotions targeted at the children. Under the new scheme with would be against the guidelines.
The multinationals signing up to the deal include Unilever, Nestle, Mondelez, McDonald’s, CocaCola, PepsiCo, Kellogg, Mars and Ferrero.
“We have now conveyed the new guidelines to our ad agencies and legal teams,” said the
CEO of one of the firms that made the commitment under the International Food &
Beverage Alliance (IFBA).
The firms have sent a commitment to the World Health Organisation to comply with the new norms by 2016.
