• Ad Age, Friday, June 15, 2007 11:45 AM

The impact of Kellogg's decision to advertise only foods that fit a particular nutritional profile in any medium that gets more than 50% of its audience from kids under age 12 is expected to reverberate far beyond the $11-billion marketer.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who has repeatedly criticized food advertising to kids, says that he hopes that "other food companies follow suit." Responding to pressure from interest groups, 11 of the country's biggest food and fast-food marketers--Kellogg among them--have already prepared pledges to comply with a new initiative from the Council of Better Business Bureaus and the National Advertising Review Council to limit the food products advertised to kids.

Kellogg has indicated its total spending won't drop off, suggesting that the kids' dollars will be redirected elsewhere. But it seems unlikely that a major ad push substituting say, Corn Flakes for Frosted Flakes, makes sense on kids' TV. Kellogg's new policy puts some $206 million in marketing spending in limbo; the tally could easily soar past $1 billion if other major marketers jump on the bandwagon.

Read the whole story at Ad Age »