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Thread: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

  1. #1
    Abe Froman Risker's Avatar
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    Default Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Companies including Vimto and Britvic, the company behind Tango, have been criticised for targeting children at schools with adverts disguised as "educational material" – such as creating a poem in praise of a soft drink and promoting a bag of crisps as healthier than an apple.

    A new report, called "Through the back door", argues that some food and drink companies are using curriculum packs to advertise their products to children at school.

    The Children's Food Campaign report claims that two-thirds of the curriculum packs surveyed contained company logos, two-thirds contained promotions for a product and two-thirds contained misinformation.

    CFC, a lobby group for healthy food, highlighted a "blatant promotion" by Vimto, maker of the purple soft drink, where teachers in more than 1,000 schools were encouraged to use English lessons to promote the drink, at one time promoted by the animated Purple Ronnie character.

    According to CFC, pupils were asked to write a poem in praise of Vimto for National Poetry Day.

    The report found that the European Snack Association, backed by Pringles, KP and Walkers, compared the nutrient content of a 30g bag of crisps favourably with that of an apple.

    "As you can see the bag of chips [crisps] provides from twice to thirty times as much of all the vitamins and minerals, three times as much energy, more fibre and complex carbohydrate," ran an extract selected by the CFC. "So how do you define a healthier food – one that is nutritionally inferior?"

    Britvic, producer of soft drinks including Tango, used a picture on a chart of how soft drinks were made using "gooditives", not additives.

    "We were flabbergasted by some of the claims in these packs," said the CFC co-ordinator, Richard Watts. "We found nutrition lesson plans about the benefits of eating crisps, claiming that colourings in fizzy drinks were to restore the fruit's natural colour, and telling children to only eat fruit and vegetables in moderation."

    CFC has produced a list of the "top 10 dodgy claims" that it found were made by companies.

    The claims included: children should not reduce food intake to lose weight, food colouring restores colour lost during processing, everybody should eat three portions of dairy products a day, some people with unhealthy diets should eat more cheese, and sugary food and drink products can be compared to bread, rice and pasta for carbohydrates.

    CFC said that if these practices were tried in TV or print advertising they would be blocked, but marketing in schools is unregulated.

    Commercial activity in schools is covered by guidelines produced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and a code from the advertisers' body ISBA (Incorporated Society of British Advertisers).

    The CFC, which says that UK companies spend £300m annually on advertising in schools, claims that these guidelines are "flouted with impunity".

    The organisation claims that Magenta, a company that produces in-classroom advertising, offers a "captive audience of some 7.5m young people, their teachers, school managers, governors, parents and the wider community".

    However, recent reports by Ofcom, the Advertising Standards Authority and the Department of Health have all found that so-called junk food marketing practices are mostly on the decrease.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008...ol-advertising
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  2. #2
    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    "Pepsi Presents Addition And Subtraction" with Troy McClure

    Troy: Now, turn to the next problem. If you have three Pepsis and drink one, how much more refreshed are you? You, the redhead in the Chicago school system?

    Girl: Pepsi?

    Troy: Partial credit!

    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

  3. #3

    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Quote Gorilla View Post
    "Pepsi Presents Addition And Subtraction" with Troy McClure

    Troy: Now, turn to the next problem. If you have three Pepsis and drink one, how much more refreshed are you? You, the redhead in the Chicago school system?

    Girl: Pepsi?

    Troy: Partial credit!

    Uber lol. I love Troy McClure.
    ..but what would they do with all the cows?..

  4. #4
    my army bradders's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Back in Ireland we used to have coke and other ads throughout the school, they did that for the money they desperately needed to run the school. The coke machines used to make a fortune for the school, all would empty and need restocking every day. Terrible situation, I'd hate to see this creeping in.
    If I sink to the bottom I can run to the shore.

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    [LMNOP] ellaminnowpea's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    This type of advertising is insane. I didn't know that was even legal! Makes me never want to have kids.

    It really scares the shit out me... If I continue with a career in healthcare and nutrition, I'm going to have to deal with this incredibly brainwashed generation.
    “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” ~ Alcott

  6. #6
    Qaxt
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Yeah... it's gross.

    Also, there's a GIANT!!! banner at my school advertising milk. It is seriously like 15-20 feet long and in the cafeteria. And it says something along the lines of, "Some studies suggest that teens who drink milk are slimmer and more fit!" And it has a few famous "sexy" people on there. It's so disgusting.... I want to stick up a sign right next to it saying, "Yeah, and others suggest that dairy causes cancer." But I'd get suspended for that, I think.

    It's right next to me in study hall, too. I have spent a couple study halls giving it death glares.

  7. #7
    my army bradders's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    At the moment they're banning adverts for all sorts of things during kids tv and before 9pm as well so it is quite bizarre that this kind of thing was allowed to happen.
    If I sink to the bottom I can run to the shore.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    What do the schools get out of it, I wonder?
    ..but what would they do with all the cows?..

  9. #9
    my army bradders's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    free activities for the kids to shut them up for five minutes and maybe a 'donation' to the school's capital works fund.
    If I sink to the bottom I can run to the shore.

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    Cake Fairy Cherry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Quote bradders View Post
    free activities for the kids to shut them up for five minutes.


    Shut them up for five minutes?! Right. That's what teaching's all about. I usually can't SPARE five minutes.

    I wouldn't worry too much. I'm sure that they don't often get used, or not in the way that they were intended. If you were teaching children about advertising then I'd imagine those packs would be useful to arm them against it.

  11. #11
    my army bradders's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    hope I didn't offend, the smiley didn't show, I was being a bit tongue in cheek really.
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    Cake Fairy Cherry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    good good

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    Vegan Pride<3 Guate_Vegan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Quote ellaminnowpea View Post
    This type of advertising is insane. I didn't know that was even legal! Makes me never want to have kids.

    It really scares the shit out me... If I continue with a career in healthcare and nutrition, I'm going to have to deal with this incredibly brainwashed generation.
    That's why I'm a firm believer in homeschooling. If I can't home school later in my life for some reason then I am not having/adopting kids. Unless I know a fellow vegan person with a similar mindset can do it. Like those obsessive Fundamentalist Christian people do it we can do it too lol except ..we're not crazy.
    "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."
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  14. #14
    my army bradders's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    I don't really believe in home - schooling generally. The social interactions etc are extremely important for development and integration and standard schooling is needed to ensure that the full resources needed such as science labs, media suites etc are available and that the child gains the necessary qualifications for academic or other pursuits to be chosen by the child. I know the child would be exposed to brands, advertising etc etc but provided you equip the child with the faculties to challenge this, then this need not be a problem. I would never send a child to a religous scholl though, I'd send them miles to a secular school first.
    P.S. don't know what schools are like in the US
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  15. #15
    Vegan Pride<3 Guate_Vegan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    I think the reason I'm so "only homeschooling and that's it" is because I had such a bad experience going to school in general. Right now I'm still in school but I'm older and I really don't give a crap lol except for school work, that's why I can't wait until college. But I would never want my kids to go through having to go to school :P I personally believe I'd be much happier now if I didn't have had to go to school away from home, and there's a lot of opportunities for interaction for homeschooled kids, with other kids. I would want my vegan kids to have mostly vegan friends and I believe that's most likely to happen through my vegan friend's kids so eh, turns out the same way either way.
    "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."
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  16. #16
    my army bradders's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    not quite 6-7 hours, 5 days a week, 39 weeks a year of interaction with hundreds of people for c.14 years though is it? I don't believe in segregation of any kind and saying that you'd really only want your kid(s) to have vegan friends goes against that. I would want my kids to mix with as broad a range of people as they can and in a world where vegans are far from being in the majority that means that they would inevitably have friends who weren't vegan. On the positive side this would also give the kids a chance to show the qualities of the vegan lifestyle to others from an early age. Of course it would be entirely the kids choice if they were to stay vegan, it would never be my place to force a lifestyle on anyone and that includes my kids.
    For quite a part of my school life I didn't have it easy either but I would still have chosen that over home schooling. One of the main reasons for my problems in school was that it was catholic and I wasn't anymore further complicated by being English in the backside of Mayo. But in the end the difficulties I faced have made me stronger and I would not be me had I not gone through them.
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  17. #17
    Vegan Pride<3 Guate_Vegan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Eh, I'm still sticking to my opinion.
    "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."
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    Karma Junkie vava's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    guate - I can see exactly where you are coming from and I applaud the reasoning but.... I tried to make my children as thoughtful and caring people as I could but then sooner or later you have to let them out into the big bad world to deal with ignorant gits and they are likely to be very hurt indeed quickly unless they realise that there are a lot of evil folk in the world that don't have their 'friends' best interests at heart.
    even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08

  19. #19
    Vegan Pride<3 Guate_Vegan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Yeah, I understand that, that's why I would most likely let them go to a normal high school since the first 14 years they've already learned what's good and what isn't.

    Also, about the bad world, that's why most likely I WON'T be having children because I find it kind of irresponsible to be bringing more kids into a world that's so miserable, if not for you than for others, and there's plenty of kids already here that need our help. But this discussion can also apply to adoptive kids of course, which what I was talking about personally.

    I think it would take a lot for me to actually have a kid and I don't think I would adopt until I'm completely ready to give up my life.. lol I kinda find kids as life suckers :P
    "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."
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  20. #20
    RebeccaDye
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    However, recent reports by Ofcom, the Advertising Standards Authority and the Department of Health have all found that so-called junk food marketing practices are mostly on the decrease.
    I've noticed this in my school especially, adverts for fizzy drinks have been replaced with 'healthy posters' with cringeworthy messages like "Kumquat may" superimposed on oranges.

  21. #21
    my army bradders's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Quote RebeccaDye View Post
    "Kumquat may" .
    mind if I throw up after having to read that appalling, horrific use of the language?
    Last edited by bradders; Jan 1st, 2009 at 07:24 PM. Reason: typo
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  22. #22
    RebeccaDye
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Good sir, I wouldn't mind in the least. In fact, I think it necessary.

  23. #23
    my army bradders's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    bleeeeuuugggghhhhh
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  24. #24
    RebeccaDye
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts


  25. #25
    polkadot duck Lisey_duck's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drinks companies criticised over in-school adverts

    Quaxt - try showing the Simpsons episode where the school milk turns out to come from rats...
    I kissed a duck - and I liked it

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