Fast Food Marketing

• The Scale of the Problem

• Growing Up in an “Obesogenic” Environment

• If Your Diet Consisted of Foods Advertised on TV …

• Distorted Perception of Foods

• Television & Energy Consumption

• Fast Food Commercials Through the Years

The Scale of the Problem

For every $1 the World Health Organization (WHO) spends on trying to improve the nutrition of the world’s population, $500 is spent by the food industry on promoting processed foods.

Obesogenic Environment

Frequent exposure to marketing messages, along with changing social circumstances such as children’s increased spending power, contribute to a nutritionally toxic, or OBESOGENIC, environment.

An obesogenic environment is one that predisposes children to desire and be able to obtain and consume certain foods, especially those that are energy dense and low in nutrients.

If Your Diet Consisted of . . .

Food advertisements account for HALF of all ads marketed to children; McDonalds advertisements being the most prolific overall.

If your diet consisted of entirely foods advertised on TV, you’d be getting 25x the recommended amount of sugar and 20x the amount of fat that you should be eating everyday (based on a 2000-calorie diet). (Armstrong Atlantic State University)

Distorted Perceptions of Food

Television & Energy Consumption

What Effects Do Adverts Have??

Proportion of Ads for Food

Types of Foods Advertised

Techniques Used to Lure Kids

Investigative Web Search

McDonalds Burger King

Subway Other (Your Choice)

In table groups, discuss the findings of your research. Decide on 1-2 items to SHARE with the whole class about each site you visited.

The LURE of Fast Food Advertising

For each of the fast food commercials viewed, keep track of the following on your graphic organizer:

a) What year did the commercial air?

b) Who is the target audience?

c) What technique was used to capture audience attention and create brand recognition/loyalty?

Reflection … Exit Card

On the back of your tracking sheet, answer the following:

a) Make comparisons between two companies. What parallels can you draw between their commercials, the techniques used in advertising and/or the image the company is trying to present? Explain.

b) Which commercial did you personally find the most appealing? Explain.