Opinion: Cartoon characters like Lucky the Leprechaun need to be banned from food advertising. Study found that use of cartoon spokescharacters impacted children’s food preferences and what they pestered their parents to purchase.
Would you let a clown influence what brand of car you buy? How about choosing your household appliances based on the advice of a cartoon bird or tiger?But young people in your family will likely let cartoons and mascots influence where your family eats out or what cereal you buy — indeed, many of your food purchases. Those choices will, in turn, affect your family’s diet and long-term health.
My team at the University of Ottawa just completed a study that shows that children’s preferred food choices are greatly influenced by food manufacturers and restaurant chain marketing. Our new study evaluated the role product mascots have on Canadian preteens and how they influence their intention to eat or buy products themselves or to pester their parents to do so. This is a key group, since ultra-processed food consumption is highest in children aged nine to 13, making up nearly 60 per cent of calories in their diets.
Kids were shown ads for foods featuring licensed cartoon characters from popular media, such as Disney princesses, and spokescharacters developed by food and beverage companies, such as Lucky the Leprechaun from Lucky Charms. They were shown ads directed at kids as well as adult-targeted ads. Kids were also exposed to ads with brands but no food product.
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