2019
Summary
The OPC complained that the competition breached the Responsible Children’s Marketing Initiative (RCMI) code as because it is a communication directed primarily to children based on the themes and visuals of cartoon drawings.
The OPC also stated that the products promoted as part of the competition, Kellogg’s Coco Pops and LCM Split Stix, do not represent a healthier dietary choice consistent with established scientific or Australian government standards.
The competition consisted of a Kellogg’s ‘Colour & Win’ website, together with special packs of Kellogg’s cereals and snack bars, a promotion in conjunction with Crayola.
Kellogg’s designed special black and white packs of popular products, including Coco Pops and LCM Split Stix, encouraging people to colour in the characters on the front and back of the pack. Customers were then invited to visit the Kellogg’s website to enter a competition to win Crayola products. The website also had an augmented reality function, allowing users to bring their coloured image to life.
Outcome
Complaint dismissed.
Under the RCMI code, product packaging is not included. Because of this, the website was the only element of the ‘Colour & Win’ promotion the Ad Standards panel would assess.
The Panel considered the overall theme of the advertisement was a colouring in completion that features images that can be brought to life using an app and that this is a theme which was directed primarily to children under 12.
The Panel considered that the advertisement uses words and phrases like “dominant”, “vibrant”, and “natural light” and considered that the complex phrases appeared to be more targeted towards adults. The Panel considered that wording relating to how the competition worked and the best browsers to use also appeared to be targeted towards adults. Overall, the Panel considered the language in the video appeared to be targeted towards both parents and children to use together and was not directed primarily to children under 12.
Viewed as a whole, the Panel considered that the website, through themes, visuals and language, was attractive to both adults and children but not directed in the first instance to children under 12.
The Panel considered that the Core Principles of the RCMI did not apply to this advertisement. Finding that the advertisement did not breach the RCMI the Panel dismissed the complaint.
Read the Ad Standards Panel’s decision on Kellogg’s Colour and Win competition.