17453: How Banning Junk Food TV Advertising Might Junk Adland.

 

MediaPost reported U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would support banning junk food TV advertising.

 

The devastating impact such a move would deliver to Adland immediately elevates Kennedy to White Man Of The Year contender.

 

RFK Jr. Supports Potential Ban On Junk Food TV Ads

 

By Tanya Gazdik

 

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he would support a ban on junk food TV ads.

 

“Speaking at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing, ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Casey Means, had recently told the panel she supports banning junk food ads on TV,” according to CNBC. “When asked whether he agrees with a ban, Kennedy said, ‘I would support that.’ But Kennedy also appeared to imply that he would want the effort to be voluntary for food companies.”

 

The food and restaurant industry spends about $14 billion annually for advertising in the U.S., according to an often-cited 2017 analysis of Nielsen data by the University of Connecticut's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health. Of this, over 80% promoted fast food, sugary drinks, candy, and unhealthy snacks.

 

“The Trump administration is looking into possible limits on junk food ads for children, according to a strategy report released by the Make America Healthy Again Commission last year,” according to Seeking Alpha. 

 

The HHS and Federal Trade Commission, along with other relevant agencies, will explore the development of potential industry guidelines to limit the direct marketing of certain unhealthy foods to children, including by evaluating the use of misleading claims and imagery, according to the report.

 

Kennedy has been pushing food makers to remove petroleum-based dyes by the end of 2026. He also has actively pushed to restrict the types of foods allowed under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to exclude items considered unhealthy, such as soda and candy. 

 

Last month, Kennedy chose Florida to roll out a new health initiative aimed at overhauling hospital food.

 

“Having revamped the food pyramid and pushed state food assistance programs to restrict soda and other processed foods, Kennedy has turned his sights on U.S. hospitals, arguing that providing healthy food to patients can aid healing and reduce readmissions,” according to Politico. “And the announcement taking place in Florida is another signal of the state’s continued alignment with MAHA movement priorities being heralded by the Trump administration.”

 

The U.S. is not the only country aiming to legislate wellness. 

 

The U.K. Parliament just yesterday approved a law that bans the supply or sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or after, permanently.

 

“The bill applies to people currently 17 years old or younger and aims to keep them from ever picking up the habit in their lifetime,” according to The New York Times. “The proposal is expected to soon go into law after the final formality of approval by King Charles III.”

16519: GUT Goes From Chicken Killers To Chicken Defenders.

Plant-based food company NotCo is behind the “Not So Happy Animals” campaign—mostly knocking fast-food restaurants—which was produced by GUT Mexico City. In 2023, GUT Miami lost AOR duties for Popeyes. Guess the advertising agency was not so happy to be forced to adopt a meat-free diet…?

 

16434: QSR R&R WTF.

 

The Brand Insider Summit: QSR is being promoted more as a leisure activity than a business event. For marketing executives, it’s literally and figuratively the junk food of corporate conferences.

16433: Toasted Subs Are Smokin’…?

 

Cheba Hut “Toasted” Subs appears to be a Potbelly for potheads.

16234: Crashing At The Intersection Of Sustainability & Credibility.

 

Adweek/Commerceweek will feature a session titled, “Accessible Sustainability For Small Businesses”—including a speaker from Uber Eats. Um, why is an enterprise that delivers junk food with drivers’ personal vehicles qualified to pontificate on sustainability?

15270: Little Caesars Actually Is Big Pizza—And A Little Confusing.

Not sure what this Little Caesars commercial is trying to communicate. Big Pizza is presented as a corporation run by White people—predominately Old White Guys—including a dark robot serving as butler…? Little Caesars calls itself “A Family Owned Company,” as if that might be a benefit over the competition. Yet the Little Caesars website is hardly promoting diversity, appearing to show an enterprise that is a family-owned “Big Pizza” corporation.

 

15147: Love That Enhanced Chicken From Popeyes.

Check out the disclaimer in the footer of the Popeyes website: All pictures are shown for illustrative purposes only. Actual product may vary due to product enhancement.

 

Um, yeah.

 

 

 

14611: Junk Food Maker Nestle Lectures On The Perils Of Junk Food.

This Nestle campaign from India allegedly attempts to help parents teach their kids about healthy food and mindful eating. Sorry, but Nestle is hardly qualified to mount this soapbox.

14426: You People Who Eat At Nando’s Should Boycott.

M&C Saatchi Abel is responsible for this Nando’s campaign featuring a video focused on the phrase, “You People.”

You people in South Africa are pathetic.

13959: Hot Dogs, Hot Damn.

This probable scampaign from Brazil seems to emulate the over-consumption tactics of U.S. fast feeders, contributing to the obesity epidemic in the South American country. But to position hot dogs as snack options to inhale between fast food meals is as obscene as any marketing messages hawked by Big Tobacco, Big Liquor or Big Pharma.

13460: Global FCBullshit.

FCB in Saudi Arabia hypes swapping junk food with healthy food, while FCB in the USA hypes swapping non-authentic taco shells with Doritos and Fritos.

13152: Major League Bullshit.

This Checkers & Rally’s commercial is aptly titled “Minor League.” The extraordinarily large team of hacks taking credit for the shit deserves to be tagged as minor league too.

12840: Taco Bell Chicken Shit.

Advertising Age reported on the latest Taco Bell innovation: taco shells made of chicken—or whatever passes for chicken from KFC, Taco Bell’s sister company. Not sure how the Taco Bell Naked Crispy Chicken Taco fits with the fast feeder’s efforts to reduce salt and lessen artificiality in its menu items. Looks like Taco Bell continues to play chicken with honesty and integrity.

Taco Bell’s Newest Taco Shell Looks More Loco Than Doritos

‘Naked Crispy Chicken Taco’ Pops Up at California Taco Bells

By Jessica Wohl

We’ve all seen the success Taco Bell has had with Doritos Locos tacos. Now comes the latest shell innovation at the Mexican fast-food chain: chicken.

That’s right, Taco Bell—sister chain to KFC—is selling what’s being called the Naked Crispy Chicken Taco. In it, breaded chicken replaces a typical taco shell.

According to Foodbeast, which quickly spotted this creation, Taco Bell is using Bakersfield, Calif., as its initial test area.

Foodbeast says the item is a piece of breaded, white meat chicken filled with lettuce, tomato, cheese and some avocado ranch sauce.

It’s way too soon to say whether this shell will spread to other areas. Of course, patrons might already be trying to order it outside the test area, especially at KFC/Taco Bell dual chain locations. And we know KFC’s already tried the chicken-as-delivery-method scenario with its Double Down, where two pieces of chicken replaced the typical sandwich bun.

12700: Cap’n Crunch Sails To Taco Bell.

USA TODAY reported Taco Bell is offsetting its health-minded efforts to reduce salt and artificial flavoring and colors from its menu items by introducing Cap’n Crunch doughnut holes. Sounds like the perfect companion for Doritos Locos Tacos and Fritos-filled Beefy Crunch Burritos.

Taco Bell to offer Cap’N Crunch doughnut holes

Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY

Taco Bell is trying its best to win National Doughnut Day.

The fast food chain — which pioneered the “fourth meal” — announced on Friday that it will begin selling Cap’n Crunch doughnut holes nationally starting July 2.

The company began testing the item — which they’ve dubbed Cap’N Crunch Delights — earlier this year at a store in Bakersfield, Calif. The warm doughnut holes covered in Cap’n Crunch Crunch Berries cereal and filled with “milk icing.”

Company officials decided to take sugary treat national after “overwhelmingly positive” response from customers in Bakersfield, Taco Bell spokeswoman Ashley Sioson.

The doughnut holes will be offered in packs of 2 for $1.00, 4 for $1.69 or 12 for $4.49.

The big announcement on National Doughnut Day — the holey celebration of America’s favorite morning pastry and successor to the Salvation Army Doughnut Day — comes after Taco Bell announced this week that it would begin testing beer, wine and spiked-freezes at a soon-to-open Chicago location.

The boozy Taco Bell is expected to open up later this summer.

12683: Adios To Artificiality…?

The Associated Press reported Taco Bell is following up its salt reduction efforts with an attempt to get rid of artificial flavors and colors in its menu items. Of course, the move will not affect soft drinks or co-branded products like the infamous Doritos Locos Tacos. Univision’s new campaign tagline—Todo Es Posible—would be disproved by the goal of removing the artificiality from Taco Bell.

Taco Bell to get rid of artificial flavors, colors

By Associated Press

Call it the Chipotle effect.

Taco Bell and Pizza Hut say they’re getting rid of artificial colors and flavors, making them the latest big food companies scrambling to distance themselves from ingredients people might find unappetizing.

Instead of “black pepper flavor,” for instance, Taco Bell will start using actual black pepper in its seasoned beef, says Liz Matthews, the chain’s chief food innovation officer.

The Mexican-style chain also says the artificial dye Yellow No. 6 will be removed from its nacho cheese, Blue No. 1 will be removed from its avocado ranch dressing and carmine, a bright pigment, will be removed from its red tortilla strips.

Matthews said some of the new recipes are being tested in select markets and should be in stores nationally by the end of the year.

The country’s biggest food makers are facing pressure from smaller rivals that position themselves as more wholesome alternatives. Chipotle, in particular, has found success in marketing itself as an antidote to traditional fast food, although some question the meaningfulness of some of its claims. In April, Chipotle announced it had removed genetically modified organisms from its food, even though the Food and Drug Administration says GMOs are safe.

Critics say the purging of chemicals is a response to unfounded fears over ingredients, but companies are nevertheless rushing to ensure their recipes don’t become marketing disadvantages. In recent months, restaurant chains including Panera, McDonald’s and Subway have said they’re switching to ingredients people can easily recognize.

John Coupland, a professor of food science at Penn State University, said companies are realizing some ingredients may not be worth the potential harm they might cause to their images, given changing attitudes about additives.

Additionally, he noted that the removal of artificial ingredients can be a way for companies to give their food a healthy glow without making meaningful changes to their nutritional profiles. For instance, Coupland said reducing salt, sugar or portion sizes would have a far bigger impact on public health.

Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are owned by Yum Brands Inc., which had hinted the changes would be on the way. At a conference for investors late last year, Yum CEO Greg Creed referred to the shifting attitudes and the desire for “real food” as a revolution in the industry.

Representatives at KFC and Yum’s corporate headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky were not immediately available to comment on whether the fried chicken chain would also be removing artificial ingredients.

Pizza Hut says it will remove artificial colors and preservatives by the end of July.

Taco Bell says it will take out artificial colors, artificial flavors, high-fructose corn syrup and unsustainable palm oil from its food by the end of 2015. It says artificial preservatives will be removed “where possible” by 2017. The moves do not affect fountain drinks or co-branded products, such as its Doritos-flavored taco shells.

Brian Niccol, the chain’s CEO, said price increases are based on a variety of factors, and that the company would work to keep its menu affordable.

“I do not want to lose any element of being accessible to the masses,” Niccol said.

When asked whether the changes would affect taste, a representative for Taco Bell said in an email that “It will be the same great tasting Taco Bell that people love.”

12623: Checkers & Rally’s Black Bag.

Checkers and Rally’s presents Mr. Bag—and the stereotypical voiceover calls for a barf bag.

12434: No Más Salt, Taco Bell!

USA TODAY reported on the quiet campaign from Taco Bell to reduce the salt in menu items. It certainly is a quiet campaign when viewed alongside loud promotions for food-like stuff featuring Doritos and Fritos.

“We have done the right thing. We have done the moral thing,” proclaimed Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed. “What we haven’t done is toot our horn. No one out there suspects we have done it because we haven’t changed the taste.” Hmmm. There are lots of contradictions in Creed’s statement. The CEO said Taco Bell didn’t “toot our horn,” which implies being humble; yet he also said, “No one out there suspects…” which implies being deceitful. Is it possible to do “the moral thing” without being honest? Plus, why act with such grandiosity when “the right thing” is essentially conforming to recommended standards? Creed admits it’s tough for fast feeders to sell healthy food and make a profit. On the flipside, why should places like Taco Bell be allowed to knowingly sell unhealthy food without facing public and even legal scrutiny?

The Fourth Meal fans will undoubtedly argue that people have the inalienable right to consume whatever they wish—oblivious to the scientific evidence proving salt is addictive. Fast-food restaurants that offer healthy menu items in addition to the unhealthy fare are not much different than Big Tobacco financing anti-smoking campaigns and Big Booze financing drunk-driving campaigns. Indeed, at some point, Taco Bell and its peers should be forced to develop healthy eating campaigns—and the messages better not be quiet.

Taco Bell reduces salt in quiet campaign

By Jere Downs, The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Taco Bell’s menu is packing less salt, 15 percent less on average since 2009, the result of a stealthy campaign by Yum! Brands CEO Greg Creed.

“We have done the right thing. We have done the moral thing,” Creed said when asked how Yum! is responding to consumer demand for healthier fare. “What we haven’t done is toot our horn. No one out there suspects we have done it because we haven’t changed the taste.”

Taco Bell’s sodium reduction was part of a Yum effort to make 15 percent of its menu items at the chain — as well as at Pizza Hut and KFC — conform to recommended mealtime limits for it, sugar and fats by the end of the year.

And by 2020, Yum wants 20 percent of its menu items to land at or below the limits, chief nutrition officer Jonathan Blum said. The idea is that if consumers eat three meals per day, one of those three meals at a KFC, Taco Bell or Pizza Hut can satisfy one third of the recommended daily allowances.

The initiative “is a bold goal across the globe,” Blum said, adding that the objective is to reduce salt without losing flavor or market share.

“We don’t want it to be perceptible,” he said. “We just want to improve ingredients.”

The increasing public debate about the health consequences of fast food appears to be driving sodium down at other chains. At McDonald’s, for instance, the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with Cheese sandwiches have dropped their sodium levels between 7 percent and 8 percent, respectively, since 2011. Each McDonald’s burger contains five salt packets each, at 960 and 1,100 milligrams respectively.

But critics say that in some instances, Taco Bell’s efforts fall short. Even though the Steak Burrito Supreme now stands at 1,090 milligrams of sodium instead of 1,340, that much salt in a single blast is still not good for you, said Michael Jacobson, co-founder and executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The Steak Burrito Supreme “has a long way to go to get to a healthy level,” Jacobson said.

The human body requires just 200 milligrams of sodium daily to balance electrolytes and other bodily functions, according to the American Heart Association. But Americans take in 3,463 milligrams of sodium daily, or about 1½ teaspoons of salt, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Yum’s nutrition goals for 2015 and 2020 are “not terribly ambitious,” Jacobson added. “Couldn’t a restaurant have at least half of its products be reasonably healthy?

“At least nutrition is on their radar screen,” he said, adding Taco Bell’s progress is an example of “creeping awareness into the sector.”

Creed, who became Yum’s CEO following a long stint as Taco Bell’s chief, said consumers may shun foods if they are advertised as low salt or otherwise good for you.

“People don’t want the taste to change,” Creed said in an interview this month. “If I came out and said ‘new low sodium Taco Bell,’ some people will think it will taste like you know what, and they are not going to come.”

And for most diners at a Louisville-area Taco Bell on Tuesday, salt wasn’t a concern.

“I like the Gordita Crunch. The sauce is really good,” said Anthony Gardner, 26, of Radcliffe. “It tastes good, so I eat it.”

“I like the salt,” said his brother, Michael Gardner, 32, adding that the pair eat lunch at Taco Bell three or four times a month. “I will probably care about salt a little later in life.”

Exactly how and where the salt has come off Taco Bell’s menu remains a trade secret. During his tenure at the helm of Taco Bell, Creed said he scrutinized all ingredient categories.

“We pulled sodium out of everything, tortillas, beef, marinade for chicken, fire sauce,” he said. “There is not an ingredient that we haven’t pulled sodium out of.”

The numbers show Taco Bell cut salt by one third in 33 menu items between 2009 to 2015. That includes the Grilled Steak Soft Taco, which has 490 milligrams of sodium, a 31 percent decline from its 710 milligrams in 2009, and the Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito, which has 490 milligrams of sodium, a 32 percent decrease from 1,370 six years ago.

Foods dramatically reduced in sodium at Taco Bell also seem to have a soft tortilla. They include the Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco (440 milligrams of sodium for a 27 percent drop from 600), and the Chicken Burrito, (960 milligrams of sodium, a 24 percent change from 1,260.)

And while overall progress takes place at Taco Bell, some new menu additions go the other way. The Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch line, for example, contains nearly 900 milligrams of sodium in each variation.

Blum, Yum’s nutrition chief, said high-sodium items like the Doritos Gorditas at Taco Bell, or other salty fare at KFC or Pizza Hut “are absolutely delicious and products I love to eat.” Consumers can be applauded, he added, “for the choices that they make, as long as they have the information and education about what to consume.”

Nancy Kuppersmith, a registered dietician with University of Louisville Physicians, took a more jaded view. Patients that she treats for obesity, diabetes and heart disease commonly eat fast food for one meal per day, she said. Extra sodium in fast food menus, she said, just makes them crave more than is good for them.

“It makes the food taste better if you put salt on it. It masks other flavors that might not be so good,” Kuppersmith said. “Will sodium stimulate me to eat more so I might buy more? Absolutely.”

Creed said competing against other fast food chains who may not be lowering sodium, means retaining sodium levels in some favorites while also offering a variety for consumers seeking healthier options, Creed said.

That’s why Taco Bell’s more nutrient-dense, and lower-sodium Fresco and Cantina menu options “are not the best-sellers,” Creed said. “But they need to be available.”

“Our customers are demanding it,” he said. “You don’t have to be Einstein to see this whole trend of transparency and authentic and genuine going forward.”

12357: Not Heartin’ Mickey D’s Lovin’.

Advertising Age reported on Mickey D’s regurgitation of its “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign. Initial commercials feature cartoon versions of iconic foes—including characters from R-rated movies—falling in love over McDonald’s menu items. Ad Age also presented a video starring McDonald’s CMO Deborah Wahl delivering clichéd marketing gobbledygook on the “brand transformation” and “powerful ideas” igniting the fast feeder’s shift from a philosophy of “Billions Served” to “Billions Heard.” Perhaps the decision to dump the tagline options revealed by The Wall Street Journal is an example of listening to the billions who ripped the lame concepts—although the notion of lovin’ versus hatin’ is still a central part of the overall theme. “Lately, the balance of lovin’ and hatin’ seems off,” said Wahl. “Who better to stand up for lovin’ than McDonald’s?” Okay, but the latest Big Mac commercial sure is hatin’ on healthy eating and people advocating for healthier lifestyles. Finally, it’s odd for the new mnemonic device to display hearts when everyone knows that Mickey D’s food-like offerings definitely contribute to heart disease.

McDonald’s Describes New Brand Vision, Reaffirms Commitment to ‘I’m Lovin’ It’

Ads From Leo Burnett Will ‘Reinvigorate’ Tagline by Featuring More Positivity

By Maureen Morrison

McDonald’s on Friday described an updated approach to marketing its brand, but the long-running “I’m lovin’ it” tagline isn’t going anywhere.

The chain is instead “reigniting” the “I’m lovin’ it” theme “by introducing a new platform that puts more focus on lovin’,” said the company in a statement. The messaging will focus more on positivity “with more uplifting content and conversations in the lovin’ spirit.

Ad Age first reported the brand campaign after Publicis Groupe’s Leo Burnett won a pitch for ideas to refresh the brand. “I’m lovin’ it” was not expected to be jettisoned, but rather to be evolved.

“This new focus will inspire everything we do moving forward, from advertising and marketing to how we interact with customers in restaurants and on social media,” the company said.

National TV and digital ads starting Jan. 3 were created by Leo Burnett with support by partnering agencies, the company said. Other agencies on the McDonald’s roster include Omnicom’s DDB, Alma DDB for Hispanic marketing, Burrell for African-American marketing and OMD for media.

U.S. CMO Deborah Wahl, who joined the company in early 2014, said in a video about the brand refresh that the company will move from a philosophy of “billions served”—a line featured on the chains’ marquees—to “billions heard.” On various social media platforms, McDonald’s will continue to actively listen to customer feedback and keep the lines of communication open, as in its recent “Our food. Your questions” campaign, she said.

The central spot introducing the new vision is an animated ad called “Arch enemies.” In it the company illustrates its renewed focus on “lovin’” by showing characters that have long been enemies—the Smurfs and their antagonist Gargamel, Batman and the Joker, a Chicago Bears fan and a Green Bay Packers fan, Freddy from “Nightmare on Elm Street” and Jason Voorhees from “Friday the 13th,” and so on—with each encounter ending happily.

Then comes the phrase “Choose Lovin’” before the commercial ends with “I’m lovin’ it.”

The company said other changes in 2015 will include new uniforms on crew members, as well as new packaging and signs in restaurants.

The move comes as the chain has been taking a beating, with decreased sales and increased competition from fast casual restaurants and competitors like Wendy’s. McDonald’s sales in November were down 4.6%, the weakest in the U.S. in more than a decade. Globally, its same-store sales for the month were down 2.2%. For the third quarter, both U.S. and global same-store sales were down 3.3%.

In particular, McDonald’s has been less popular with Millennials than other brands are, and the chain has been working to appeal to the cohort through transparency and quality-assurance initiatives.

Ms. Wahl also said in the video that the chain will feature classics like the Big Mac in more of its marketing—such as a new TV commercial that unapologetically warns vegetarians to look away. She also took the opportunity to tout the chain’s new customizable “Create your taste” platform, which will be rolled out in 2,000 U.S. locations in 2015. She noted that the company recently began offering Cuties mini oranges in its Happy Meals, adding that McDonald’s will market its Egg McMuffins in a way that illustrates that each sandwich is made with an egg that was freshly cracked.

The company is also expected to run an in-game Super Bowl spot, but the company declined to comment on that score.