US Consumers Sue Over Children's Ads

US consumer groups are to sue the network behind SpongeBob SquarePants, Viacom, and food company Kellogg’s for promoting junk food to children.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the Centre for Science in the Public Interest and two parents announced they intend to sue under consumer protection laws that apply in the state of Massachusetts.

The alliance said using cartoon characters to sell products to children was "a multimedia brainwashing and re-education campaign".

Children’s TV show favorite SpongeBob SquarePants features on packages of Kellogg’s cereal, Pop Tarts and biscuits.

"It’s unfair because kids under five don’t even know it’s a commercial," said Stephen Gardner of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.

"They think it’s a very short SpongeBob program. And it’s unfair because at a very important time in their physical and psychological development, kids are being encouraged to eat food that is just not good for them."

Kellogg’s said in a statement the company had a "long-standing commitment to marketing in a responsible manner".

Viacom said it had recently undertaken several healthy eating initiatives.
The Centre for Science in the Public Interest said its researched showed that 98% of Kellogg’s ads on Saturday morning television promoted highly sweetened foods like Apple Jacks and Frosted Flakes cereals.

The CSPI executive director, Michael Jacobson, said: "Their marketing tactics are designed to convince kids that everything they hear from their parents about food is wrong.

"It’s a multimedia brainwashing and re-education campaign - and a disease-promoting one at that."

The issue is also a hot topic in Britain where food companies have massively increased their health food campaigns, in a bid to stop the government introducing laws that ban junk food advertising to children.

The government is considering a ban and is due to decide later this year.