It’s hard to forget the catchy tune of the Wonder Ball candy commercials where a bunch of kids pop open their chocolate shell to find a tiny toy waiting. Then there’s the Ring Pop—all the rage during the ‘90s. Commercials can be captivating, especially when they involve cool, sugary treats!
In an effort to curb the trend, the council of Better Business Bureaus in partnership with the National Confectioners Association announced a new self-regulatory initiative that promotes responsible advertising to children. The initiative is called the Children’s Confection Advertising Initiative (CCAI). Participating companies agree to not advertise directly to children under the age of 12. It is very similar to the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising initiative (CFBAI)—also a self-regulatory program targeted towards larger confectionary companies.
Many major candy brands and manufacturers are participating in such initiatives: Ferrara Candy Company; Ghirardelli Chocolate Company; Jelly Belly Candy Company; Just Born Quality Confections; The Promotion in Motion Companies, Inc.; and R.M. Palmer Compa American Licorice Company; Ferrero USA; The Hershey Company; Mars, Incorporated; Mondelez International; and Nestlé.
These companies hope to promote good will, social responsibility and their commitment to protect children from unhealthy advertising. But what does it mean for the ad industry?
The good news is that while you may not be able to target the actual consumer of these fun treats, you can most certainly target the shopper. That’s right, mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, the caretakers. After all, they are generally the ones opening their wallet. Yes, certain programming like Nick Jr. and Cartoon Network are going to lose business from candy advertising. For confectionary businesses however, it means a few adjustments in placement strategy and reconsidering the target market. You might not be able to tie fun ‘Frozen’ animation to your brand (sorry Elsa and Olaf), but it doesn’t mean you have to take all the fun out of it. Mars M&M’s has had significant success with its infamous commercials—they are adult centered but still draw in your attention and create lasting impressions. A child may find it entertaining to see an animated M&M, but the concepts and situations presented are aimed at the more mature demographic.
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