Food Advertising to Children Has Changed. Good Policy Requires Recognizing That.
Twenty years ago, most food and beverage companies advertised in child-directed media. Today, most companies have stopped entirely. This didn’t happen because children stopped watching TV or digital media or because of government regulations.
It happened because companies made a choice to improve food and beverage advertising to kids.
That choice has changed the landscape in ways that lawmakers considering bans on child-directed food advertising, like the advertising ban in the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act, often fail to recognize. Arguments for the CDRA’s advertising ban, for example, rest on decade-old data that does not accurately depict food advertising to children today.
Improving children’s health by reducing childhood obesity and diabetes is important. But good policy must start with a clear understanding of today’s marketplace.
This dramatic reduction was driven by a 98% reduction in exposures to ads from companies in BBB National Programs’ Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), a voluntary advertising self-regulation program created in 2006 to improve the landscape of food and beverage advertising primarily directed to kids.
Today, most of the largest food, beverage, and quick-serve restaurant companies participate in CFBAI. These companies publicly commit not to advertise any foods or beverages in media primarily directed to children under age 13 unless those products meet nutrition criteria that limit the added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium in advertised foods and require positive nutrients. Companies also commit not to engage in any child-directed food advertising in elementary and middle schools or to children under age 6.
As a result, the nutritional profile of foods and beverages advertised to children has improved. Many foods traditionally associated with concerns about marketing to children, like candy, ice cream, cookies, and soda, are no longer advertised in child-directed media by the companies in CFBAI because those products do not meet CFBAI’s nutrition standards.
And in recent years, most companies have stopped advertising in media primarily directed to children altogether. This has resulted not only in dramatic reductions in children’s exposure to food advertising on child-directed TV programming but has also contributed to children typically seeing minimal food or beverage advertising in child-directed content in popular digital media.
This dramatic impact is a result of companies being held accountable to their CFBAI commitments through independent monitoring and program transparency provided by the program administrator, BBB National Programs.
Industry self-regulation, in the form of CFBAI, has changed the children’s food advertising landscape. Advertising by the largest food companies now features better foods, with most companies no longer advertising any foods or beverages in media primarily directed to kids, including digital media.
This change is the result of the commitments made by the companies in CFBAI. Pursuant to that commitment, CFBAI has expanded program requirements and strengthened nutrition criteria over the years as it continues to improve child-directed food advertising.
The path to further progress begins with acknowledging that food advertising to kids today is not what it used to be. It is better because of the voluntary, proactive commitments made by the companies in CFBAI. Lawmakers can help build on what is working by encouraging more companies to join CFBAI and increase CFBAI’s impact on improving food advertising to children.
Reach out to learn more about participating in CFBAI
It happened because companies made a choice to improve food and beverage advertising to kids.
That choice has changed the landscape in ways that lawmakers considering bans on child-directed food advertising, like the advertising ban in the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act, often fail to recognize. Arguments for the CDRA’s advertising ban, for example, rest on decade-old data that does not accurately depict food advertising to children today.
Improving children’s health by reducing childhood obesity and diabetes is important. But good policy must start with a clear understanding of today’s marketplace.
The Marketplace Has Changed
In 2013, children ages 6-11 viewed 1,745 food-related advertisements on child-directed TV programming. In 2022, that number had dropped to 52 ads a year, which is a 97% decline.This dramatic reduction was driven by a 98% reduction in exposures to ads from companies in BBB National Programs’ Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), a voluntary advertising self-regulation program created in 2006 to improve the landscape of food and beverage advertising primarily directed to kids.
Today, most of the largest food, beverage, and quick-serve restaurant companies participate in CFBAI. These companies publicly commit not to advertise any foods or beverages in media primarily directed to children under age 13 unless those products meet nutrition criteria that limit the added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium in advertised foods and require positive nutrients. Companies also commit not to engage in any child-directed food advertising in elementary and middle schools or to children under age 6.
As a result, the nutritional profile of foods and beverages advertised to children has improved. Many foods traditionally associated with concerns about marketing to children, like candy, ice cream, cookies, and soda, are no longer advertised in child-directed media by the companies in CFBAI because those products do not meet CFBAI’s nutrition standards.
And in recent years, most companies have stopped advertising in media primarily directed to children altogether. This has resulted not only in dramatic reductions in children’s exposure to food advertising on child-directed TV programming but has also contributed to children typically seeing minimal food or beverage advertising in child-directed content in popular digital media.
This dramatic impact is a result of companies being held accountable to their CFBAI commitments through independent monitoring and program transparency provided by the program administrator, BBB National Programs.
The Path Ahead
Effectively addressing the complex problem of childhood obesity and diabetes requires the efforts of all society, including industry. It also requires recognizing what is already working.Industry self-regulation, in the form of CFBAI, has changed the children’s food advertising landscape. Advertising by the largest food companies now features better foods, with most companies no longer advertising any foods or beverages in media primarily directed to kids, including digital media.
This change is the result of the commitments made by the companies in CFBAI. Pursuant to that commitment, CFBAI has expanded program requirements and strengthened nutrition criteria over the years as it continues to improve child-directed food advertising.
The path to further progress begins with acknowledging that food advertising to kids today is not what it used to be. It is better because of the voluntary, proactive commitments made by the companies in CFBAI. Lawmakers can help build on what is working by encouraging more companies to join CFBAI and increase CFBAI’s impact on improving food advertising to children.
Reach out to learn more about participating in CFBAI