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FrieslandCampina develops new standard on advertising and obesity According to the World Health Organisation, there are globally more than 1.6 billion overweight adults. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is still increasing in developed and developing countries. The trend is particularly alarming in children and adolescents, with 20 million children under the age of five overweight. As a result, FrieslandCampina has launched a new corporate standard this year on advertising in relation to obesity.
What’s the problem? Many young children under the age of six have difficulty understanding that advertising
is a tool used to sell products. It is not until around the age of 12 that most children are able to fully comprehend the purpose of advertising. If companies do not take a responsible approach to their marketing practices, it can lead to unhealthy eating patterns and lifestyles. By developing a corporate standard, FrieslandCampina wants to contribute to responsible marketing practices, especially those geared at children, in order to help them develop healthy eating patterns and to prevent obesity. The company says preventing and combating obesity is
a shared responsibility of consumers, governments, NGOs as well as food producers and food suppliers. “We see it as part of our responsibility to constantly contribute to addressing this challenge. So when it comes to advertising in relation to obesity, we comply with local legislation, agreed voluntary national advertising codes in the country of sale and our new standard.” The corporate standard encompasses all advertising and promotional actions worldwide for FrieslandCampina branded products. It sets rules for advertising in general, advertising aimed at children in
general, advertising geared at children under the age of 12 in the European Union (EU) and school (milk) programmes. “Our goals are clear: we want to make sure we don’t mislead the consumer or undermine a healthy diet or lifestyle, we don’t abuse the confidence of children, we protect children (in and outside the school environment) and stimulate healthy eating patterns and lifestyles.”
Butter sculpture pays tribute to dairy farmers A huge butter sculpture showing a dairy cow standing next to a dairy farmer, pouring a glass of milk at the breakfast table with his family was unveiled at this year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show in the US. It was the twentieth time there had been a butter sculpture at the show and it paid tribute to dairy farmers in Pennsylvania - home to more than 7,000 of them. The sculpture was the work of Jim Victor who began working on the design in mid-December, using 1,000lb of Land O’Lakes butter. It was unveiled by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture secretary Russell Redding.
Milk Moustache ad encourages Hispanics Milk: Pass it on to make milk a priority In the UK, The Dairy Council has taken banner space along the sides of pitches at 12 live Rugby Super League matches until the end of the season later in the year. The Council has developed a slogan especially for this activity: Milk. Pass it on. Dairy Council Director Dr Judith Bryans said the intention is to promote milk in association with sport using wording that will resonate with the audience but which won’t fall foul of the health claims regulation.
With the start of a New Year, US milk processors wanted to make it easier for Hispanics to set the table with milk and build strong families in 2010. So the National Milk Moustache ‘got milk?’ campaign launched a new initiative called the Great Gallon Give with the help of actor, author and dad Cristian de la Fuente, who is appearing in his first milk moustache ad along with his wife and daughter. The new programme will give away hundreds of thousands of gallons of milk - the equivalent of more than three million servings - to help raise
awareness of the important role milk plays in building strong families. Events are scheduled from coast to coast to give out the gallons and families can register to win a year’s free supply of milk at whymilk.com.
milk processors will be donating thousands of real gallons of milk to local food banks in the Feeding America network.
The Great Gallon Give also makes it possible to help families in need by passing a virtual gallon of milk to friends on Facebook (Facebook.com/MilkMustache). For every virtual gallon passed, $1 will go to Feeding America, the country’s largest network of food banks that serves more than 25 million people facing hunger in the US. In addition,
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www.foodbev.com/dairy Issue 29 - February · March 2010
MARKETING 29