Sunday, July 19, 2015

12770: Big, Fat Liars On Obesity.

Campaign reported the Advertising Association pledged to support Prime Minster David Cameron’s crusade to address childhood obesity. AA CEO Tim Lefroy stated in a letter:

“We must look at regulation, and in partnership with policy makers, seek out the best available evidence and make changes where needed.

“We must turn on the persuasive capability in our creativity and utilise the reach and influence of our brands and media.

“We must work with the government to find effective remedies because that is the proven recipe for positive social change.”

Once again, an advertising wonk believes the industry is capable of affecting social change, despite its abject failure at tackling a simple issue like diversity. Oh, and now you may add obesity to the long list of items that trump diversity. Somebody alert the PM that he’s dealing with big, fat liars.

AA pledges support to PM tackle obesity

By Gurjit Degun

The Advertising Association has pledged to support David Cameron’s mission to tackle childhood obesity.

In a letter to the prime minister, the AA chief executive, Tim Lefroy, said the issue would “require renewed attention from our industries”.

It follows reports that the prime minister may take personal responsibility for the Conservative party’s commitment to tackle obesity.

The AA said: “We must look at regulation, and in partnership with policy makers, seek out the best available evidence and make changes where needed.

“We must turn on the persuasive capability in our creativity and utilise the reach and influence of our brands and media.

“We must work with the government to find effective remedies because that is the proven recipe for positive social change.” The AA explained to the prime minister that it is the “gateway” to adland’s independent self-regulatory system, which is operated by the Advertising Standards Authority, in conjunction with Ofcom.

Scientific advisors to Public Health England said today that added sugars, or those naturally present in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit juices, should make up no more than 5 per cent of a person’s daily intake.

1 comment:

nochange said...

Whenever holding companies and ad associations smell the hint of legal regulations in the air, they issue one of these wishy washy statements promising to get their act together. Remember the 4As being “outraged” by kickback claims, and then claiming (emphasis on claiming) that they’d investigate it themselves?

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ana-launch-fact-finding-probe-media-buying-kickback-claims-165290

So just like they’re never going to REALLY do anything about childhood obesity, they’re never going to really do anything about diversity either.

Unless Cyrus Mehri returns, with his threat of a lawsuit.