Every day, a child in the eight-to-12 age group watches an average of 21 ads promoting junk food on TV. This finding has raised serious concerns in view of the alarming increase in the rate of childhood obesity. It was discovered by researchers working for the Kaiser Family Foundation. The foundation's study was based on a 2005 Institute of Medicine report linking television advertising to children's food preferences. The study, which was based on 1,638 hours of television viewing, revealed that while 34% of TV ads promoted candy and snacks, only 1% advertised fruit juices. None of the 8,854 commercials in the sample advertised fruits or vegetables. Moreover, most of the products were touted as being tasty and fun. The report has elicited positive responses from major food manufacturers. At a forum organized to discuss the findings of the report, representatives of the food industry stated that they would insert health-promoting messages into ads targeting children. C. Lee Peeler, President and CEO of the National Advertising Review Council, also claimed that the 11 largest food manufacturers have taken steps to adhere to recommended advertising guidelines. Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) warned the food industry that it needs to shift campaigns away from unhealthy foods for children voluntarily or face government action. The study also revealed that food advertising appeared most frequently on cable networks ABC Family, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon.
Zubi hires new VP-creative director
Miami-based Zubi Advertising has hired Andres Ordonez to serve as its VP-creative director. Colombian-born Ordonez was earlier VP-Creative Director of BBDO Puerto Rico in San Juan. Ordonez has won many Hispanic Creative Advertising Awards from Advertising Age. Awards won by Ordonez in the last two years include recognitions of his creative work for Pepsi-Cola, Berlitz, and Mitsubishi. He has also won a "Gold" award in the "guerrilla marketing and nontraditional media category" for a public-service message entitled "Jail." Ordonez created a famous ad for Berlitz Language Schools that appeared as a spot in a trailer for a blockbuster movie with subtitles. The message urged the audience to learn English in order to understand the movie. After the ad ran, registration for the company's English classes increased by 35%. Ordonez will start his new job at Zubi on April 16. Zubi is the ninth-largest U.S. Hispanic ad agency. The agency's clients include Ford Motor Company, American Airlines, and SC Johnson.
Hospitals increase ad budgets to attract patients
Aiming to offset decreasing inpatient admissions, hospitals in Detroit have increased their advertising budgets. Last year, the metro area's hospitals spent $16.5 million on media campaigns in Southeast Michigan, according to Pat Harrington of VoiceTrak. VoiceTrak is a media measurement service that is a part of New York-based VMS, a media intelligence company. The study revealed that in 2006, hospital ad budgets ranked fifth among those in 11 surveyed categories. The area's hospitals have been coming up with creative ideas for selling their services. Unveiling its first TV ad in 20 years, Beaumont Hospitals is spending around $4 million to tell people that finding the right hospital is as important as finding a Beaumont doctor. "With two new hospitals being built to the west of us, it's important to stay visible in the marketplace," said Lynn Anderson of Botsford Hospital, justifying the expenditure of $847,000 on its first-ever TV ad. Morley Robbins, Senior Vice President of Trinity Health System, among others, voiced concern with the rising expenditures on healthcare advertising. "It's an operating expense; someone has to pay it," he said.
Google ventures into radio, TV, and newspaper advertising
Google is planning to plunge into radio, TV, and newspaper advertising. Google's chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, has revealed the company's plan to eventually have 1,000 employees dedicated to radio advertising alone. However, the early results of Google's foray into radio have been mixed. Radio stations worry that they will lose control over ad sales and pricing as a result of Google's presence in the field. To win their confidence, Google has assured them that they will see positive results, pointing to its highly successful online ad strategy. However, older media fear that Google's technology-based approach will mar their relationships with advertisers, which have been nurtured over the years. Google has received a warmer welcome in the newspaper industry. The company's early tests in the market have generated promising results. It has also been successful in recruiting major newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times. Google's approach to television advertising has yet to take a definite shape.
Web show allows product placement
To boost its finances, web show Lonelygirl15 included a product-placement spot in one of its recent episodes. The product featured was Ice Breakers Sours Gum, made by Hershey. "The goal was to raise awareness of the brand among our target consumers," said Hershey Company's spokesman Kirk Saville. The creators of the show have been worried about the consequences of the move. Before actually integrating the product into the plot of Lonelygirl15, they posted messages in an online forum in order to gauge fans' responses. The decision to feature the product was finalized after they received positive responses from an overwhelming majority of respondents. Despite positive remarks posted online after the episode was aired, the show's creators continue to fear backlash from fans. The details of the financial deal have not been revealed. "The product placement on television is very subtle, and that's very hard to do," said Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research.
