We all know advertising can influence our opinions, the products we buy and even who we vote for – but can it influence our behavior?
Can an ad can give us a reality check about the examples we set for our children?
Check out these two new ads from Blue Cross (created by Mono agency from Minneapolis):
This one gave me a lump in my throat:
And an old one I remember from last year that was very well done:
According to Blue cross, nearly two-thirds of Minnesotans are either overweight or obese. Do you think ads like these make an impact in the minds of parents and could possibly change behaviors?
What do you think?
Note: ads created by MONO on behalf on Blue Cross
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14 Responses to “fighting obesity with advertising?”
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Marketing Mama® features articles on parenting as a working mom, health, family activities, cool products, my two adorable children and sometimes I even talk about marketing.
Uff da. They sure hit home with me. I hope my son sees good examples in his dad and me. We have some changes to make, but it’s worth it to make good choices that will have long-lasting positive consequences.
Anna – the first one hit home with me, too. I work really hard to make healthy food choices and know my kiddos are watching my every move. Especially in the store. They follow me around with the little carts just like in that first commercial. Thanks for sharing.
I think they do them tastefully. The emphasis is on health not vanity or fat-shaming. So I approve.
Liz – you are absolutely right and that is probably why I didn’t freak out when I first saw these. They were all about opening our eyes to how our kiddos see our choices. Since you are someone who talks a lot about fitness and weight loss, I really value your opinion on this, thanks for sharing.
I feel they miss a few points. After viewing, my immediate comments are:
-People that make poverty-line, or below do not have the luxury of purchasing a dominant plant based diet. Often, processed food loaded with HFCS meets their budget or what they can afford. Take for example the school lunch programs. They aren’t serving up healthy, organic food. Why, it’s even stated in the USDA guidelines that “meat” can have as much as 30% filler. We need to stop blaming the individual for the obesity/ diabetes epidemic and take a look at our food source. So yes, while opening a conversation and engaging people is a wonderful thing– However, lets also give the family that has to chose buying a package of HoHo’s for $2.00 to put in school lunches as opposed to a bag of apples for $5/$6. The Farm Bill subsidizes the production of corn syrup– and we are okay with that. The The government buys out an over stock of gross chicken to serve up for the school lunch program and we are okay with that. But, lets turn around and blame the individual. It’s a ripple effect. Not so black and white.
-Sugar and salt are highly addictive and heave a chemical reaction when they enter your body. When Jay’s says they “bet you can’t just eat one”– they aren’t kidding.
-There are plenty of people in this country that are not healthy “on the inside” even though they are thin.
Thank you!
Beverly, thanks so much for sharing these thoughts. You bring up a lot to think about as to why it is easier to choose foods that are bad for you. The money is a tough one. While I agree it’s easier to buy a pack of hohos for $2, I would also argue that a package of pretzels is a healthier choice that you could get more servings out of and be a better fit for that meal. I also HATE the HFCS in our food supply and avoid it whereever possible. Thanks again.
Love your posts- they always start a great conversation. Something we need more of on these topics. Thank you!
Do I think ads can impact behavior? Sure. But, I think the way to drive behavior is to get parents on board with better eating habits first. That cannot be done through advertisements. Side story: my son was selling water and pop at our garage sale this weekend. He had a number of kids with their parents stop by and ask if we had any pop left toward the end of the day. He said “no.” And they moved on, as if to say “who in their right mind would pay for WATER?” That’s the behavior change we need to change.
Hanson – that’s a great story (and sad). And while I agree with you that we need to get parents on board before we expect them to be good role models, I do know that the message of doing something “for my kids” has a really big impact.
For example, I smoked a pack a day for nearly 12 years. But when I wanted to start a family, I quit. It was hard as hell, but I didnt’ want to be a pregnant smoker, and I didn’t want my kids to see my smoking and grow up that way.
Sometimes hitting parents in the HEART (as opposed to the wallet or the personal guilt) can be really effective. I think that’s what BC is trying to do here and it resonated with me.
So interesting. My first reaction was to feel sorry for the kids and adults acting in these commercials. How do they feel about taking these roles?! I think anything that gets us talking about this topic is good. Lots of causes, lots of roadblocks to be sure but there are many, many steps we can all take in the right direction.
That was my first thought too – about the casting of the actors. Although there are plenty of folks who are overweight who work in acting! I agree – anything to get us talking is a good thing! Thanks Kristin!
They are all powerful commercials, indeed.
Beverly makes a good point about junk food being more affordable than the healthier options. Another topic that comes to mind when I think about obesity is cooking. So many people in America today are not kitchen savvy, and convenience food is king. It isn’t uncommon to find people that think Hamburger Helper is a home cooked meal.
I think that we need to work as a community to teach people to take their kitchens back, and cook as close to scratch as possible, eliminating the extra calories, sodium, and other junk found in the readily available convenience foods found on our grocers’ shelves.
@Kristin So true! I just read an article about how we all “want” fancy kitchens with lots os stainless steal gizmos- It’s not because we are spending more time *in* the kitchen cooking. It’s more so of a show piece in the house that doesn’t get dirty.
Thanks for the comments. The funny thing is that cooking from scratch is a foreign concept to most people. It took a serious health issue of my daughter’s food allergies to force me to start reading labels and realizing that foods like “Hamburger Helper” and other boxed foods were full of ingredients we didn’t need (or couldn’t pronounce). Fresh is so much better. I make nearly everything myself from scratch now and it’s made a big difference in how I personally feel. That said, it’s still easy to overeat and be overweight with good/organic/healthy foods.