Ad campaign disparages real apples

A new Kelloggs ad campaign for Apple Jacks is getting a bum rap by the Produce for Better Health Foundation, a nonprofit education and marketing organization aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, whose members include produce growers, shippers and supermarkets, and the nonprofit nutrition and food-safety watchdog group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Why? Because they claim that the ads "disparages real apples as sour and as otherwise inferior to sugary breakfast cereal."

The concept of the ads is somewhat akin to the many cereal ads aimed at kids. Every time a bowl of Apple Jacks is poured it's a race between CinnaMon, a cinnamon stick with a Jamaican accent, to get to the bowl before Bad Apple, who tries to foil CinnaMon and get there first.

The Apple Jacks website claims "CinnaMon knows that kids love the sweet cinnamon taste of Apple Jacks®. Always have, always will."

The ads and website give brief bios on the characters. CinnaMon is from Cinna Island and is laid-back, happy and confident. While Bad Apple is from Apple Alley. He's grouchy, sour and determined. His hobbies include meddling and scheming.

From the press release:

"It's bad enough that Kellogg's is selling a cereal that has more sugar, and, in fact, more salt, than apples or apple juice concentrate," said Margo G. Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). "But to then go and trash the taste of real apples adds insult to injury."

"Kellogg’s is using the good name of apples to make parents feel better about the brand, but the company is actually disparaging this healthful food in its messages aimed at children," said Elizabeth Pivonka, president and CEO of Produce for Better Health Foundation. "Parents can feel good about giving apples to kids, but Apple Jacks has more sugar than any other ingredient and just one gram of fiber."

Kellogg's statement regarding the campaign:

"Kellogg has a longstanding commitment to advertise in a responsible manner. The current Apple Jacks campaign is designed to be a lighthearted and fun way to communicate the cinnamon great taste of the cereal. It is not intended to disparage apples or discourage children from eating apples."

Some experts aren't so worked up though. They find the ads misleading because of the claims that the cinnamon is sweet, when it's really the added sugars that make it so.

On of the best quotes though on the whole issue is by cardiologist Dr. Richard Fleming.

"I've never seen a study that suggests apples are bad for anyone. In fact, if an apple a day keeps the doctor away, I wonder if a whole bushel could help reduce ridiculous comments made by people about apples."

Somewhat amusing is that no one seemed to find fault with Snapple's "Bad Fruit" advertising campaign back in 2001. ;)

And speaking of sugar in cereals, there's a game out there where the aim is to keep the kid's blood sugar high.