MOM's Removes Products With Ads Aimed at Kids
How do you feel about products marketed toward children?
MOM's Organic Market, a Rockville, Md.-based grocery store with a location on Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria, has made the decision to pull any products with marketing aimed at children off its shelves.
Specifically, products that feature cartoon characters, such as Dora the Explorer frozen soybeans and Elmo juice boxes, will no longer be carried. Those foods will be replaced with organic alternatives with cartoon-free packaging.
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"Marketing to children is wrong and should be illegal,” says Scott Nash, founder and CEO of MOM's on the grocer's website. “Advertising is a shady game. It focuses on creating a shallow emotional attachment instead of pointing out the merits of a product. Unfortunately, it works—and young children are particularly susceptible.”
MOM's said Nash, who has three children, first noticed the abundance of cartoons on products for children when his 3-year-old daughter begged for cereal branded with a cartoon character.
“Using beloved media characters to sell kids on a particular brand of food is wrong, even if it’s healthy food,” said Susan Linn, Director of the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood in the MOM's notice. “Children should not be trained to pick foods based on the cartoon on the box. We congratulate MOM’s for taking this courageous stance on behalf of families and urge other companies to follow suit.”
Is it OK to market products toward children? Should marketing toward children be regulated or illegal? Tell us in the comments below.
Richard James
6:46 am on Friday, January 18, 2013
Soon MOM's will be so pure of heart that there won't be anything left on the shelves. Why not eliminate everything with plastic packaging? Everything manufactured by a company that doesn't provide benefits to gay spouses? The path to madness lies ahead...
Linda Kelly
10:19 am on Friday, January 18, 2013
Hmm, does this mean no more Nature's Path Panda Puffs since these boxes feature cartoon pandas? Or are only SOME cartoon characters undesirable?
Laura Holley-Poole
1:25 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
Hi Linda,
MOM's is discontinuing the items that have licensed cartoon characters on the package - products with recognizable characters like Big Bird and Dora the Explorer. Nature's Path EnviroKidz line is not affected because they just have illustrations of animals on the box.
- Laura Holley-Poole (MOM's Organic Market)
timp4
12:07 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
I know, my kids love Annie's products does that mean we can't get it there anymore cuz of the bunny?
Laura Holley-Poole
1:27 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
The only Annie's item that is being discontinued is Annie's Homegrown "Arthur" Mac & Cheese, which features a cartoon character from a TV show. MOM's will still have Annie's bunny-shaped crackers, cookies and pasta.
-Laura Holley-Poole (MOM's Organic Market)
earthsteward1
12:27 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
I think this is a great idea. Creating false emotional attachments to food using cartoon characters on the packaging, created for large profits by large corporations, belies the importance of the food. Why not teach the kids to be grateful for the contents of the food, instead of the picture on the package? Leave the cartoons on TV, which one can control with a dial, and teach kids to appreciate the wonderful gift each food product gives to them.
Amy Elizabeth Haman
7:16 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
I happen to agree that marketing has gone too far in many cases(not just with children) however, I'm an adult with no children and there are a few products I've noticed missing that I buy on a weekly basis. I agree with Richard James, where do you draw the line? There are many issues with many products. I love Mom's and shop there at least twice a week & love how conscious they are about their products but...cartoons, really? That responsibility lies with the parents. It saddens me that products I love, that are organic & very healthy have been taken away. I travel for work and most often products for children are perfect for me. I hope Mom's reconsiders its "battle" this time or at least explains to these company's why they discontinue carrying their products so they have the opportunity to change their marketing. Thanks, Amy
Laura Holley-Poole
1:26 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
Hi Amy Elizabeth,
We reached out to product manufacturers several months ago, letting them know of our plans. Our hope is some will choose to change their packaging, so we can bring back some of the products. However, we do have organic alternatives for everything that was discontinued. So if you miss something, please let us know at the store. Thanks!
-Laura (MOM's Organic Market)
Mindy
10:07 am on Saturday, January 19, 2013
Not sure I understand this. Are parents not making choices for their children? Are you bringing your kids grocery shopping with you and they have a wallet? Can you not say 'no'? When did 'regulation' take the place of parenting?