Self regulation is one of those boring-sounding but vital things for the marketing industry.
For brands, it means behaving responsibly – not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is in the interest of the whole industry.
The latest draconian crackdown on cigarette packaging is a pretty brutal demonstration of what happens when governments decide you need regulating.
Alcohol has also been a big focus. And the next target is in the responsible promotion of food products.
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There are plenty of politicians who would love to ban “unhealthy foods”.
Which is why it’s so depressing to see the latest promotion from Hungry Jack’s which launched today.
Bad enough that it’s for the 2642 kj Ultimate Double Angus Burger (“Double angus beef! Double cheese! Double bacon!”)
(Which isn’t the deadliest of the Hungry Jack’s range, by the way – that’s the 5085 kj Ultimate Double Whopper.)
No, it’s the fact that it’s been created to tie in with a promotion of Iron Man 2, a movie which is aimed at a young audience.
For an industry trying to demonstrate how responsible it is, a promotion like this does it no favours.
Tim Burrowes