ASB upholds complaint over McDonald’s voucher handed to children
The Advertising Standards Bureau has upheld a complaint against McDonald’s after the fast food chain handed out vouchers to children at a playground offering free fries.
The watchdog found it was in breach of a code of the Quick Service Restaurant Initiative for Responsible Advertising to Children (QSRI).
The complaint related to a voucher handed out – with permission – to the SPC Ardmona kidsTown Adventure Playground. On one side was a picture of Ronald McDonald with a group of people while on the other side of the voucher was an image of McDonald’s fries and the text: “Free small fries with any purchase”.
This’d be the same SPC kidstown which is owned (and almost closed down) by Coca-Cola Amatil, I guess?
You can see the idea: Let’s get MacDonalds along to provide FREE FRIES to make sure the parents bring the kids for the obesity day! Yay, great idea, Ronald. And here’s the art-work for the flyer. Congratulations all round!
SHAME SHAME SHAME
I’d agree on a CTA like “Get your free fries after you have completed 15 circuits of Tumbalong Park, (because thats how far you have to run to burn off the Calories.)
The absurdity of the nanny state cometh yet again.
OMG those poor kids who are exposed to an offer of a free small fries. I hope the nanny state gave them free counselling for their trauma.
Congratulations once again for being seen to be doing the right thing .
I have no doubt that there are herds of sheep all over the country bleating “Yeees, Yeeees. Four legs gooood Two legs baaaaaad.
Take away food doesn’t cause obesity, alcohol doesn’t cause alcoholism, gambling doesn’t cause poverty and broken families. These things are caused by eating too much (of any kind of food including health food) and exercising too little. Drinking too much alcohol too often, and the addiction to the rush or the greed associated with the possibility of easy money.
If people don’t want their children to eat take away food, then they should educate them and be responsible for directing them away from it . Would a free bottle of soft drink have caused this alarming reaction? An ice cream? A chocolate bar?
A free bag of wall nuts (very high in fat) or a shortbread biscuit, which could contain high animal fat, trans fat and sugar?
Is this any different than having McDonalds vouchers as rewards at junior sports clubs?
Is that next?
Given that McDonalds sponsor Little Athletics in Queensland it seems a little ludicrous to stop them handing out the vouchers.
Richard – you are 100% correct. Let’s just market fast food, gambling products and alcohol without restriction. It’s people and not marketing that causes issues.
And while we are at it let’s bring back tobacco advertising. When only the best will do.
Ah Mr Richard Moss
Fact is we all agree that governments have the power to do things that improve broad social outcomes for a community. Like seat-belts!
The power of big corporations is massive today and while alcohol and tobacco manufacturers have had to recognise and accept government regulation, the Oz food industry (well, snack foods really, this is hardly food!) is still bucking its responsibilities.
Obesity is a monstrous issue with calamitous consequences for individuals on one level, and for our government at an organisational health level.
Why wouldn’t governments want to act?! Oh, sorry: because Abbott has declared open slather for business in Oz, as per the scandal in the health-star rating system, which site assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash and her chief of staff, fast-food czar Alastair Furnival, personally intervened to have pulled down.