Cartoon Characters Neutralize Healthful Cereal Messages

[The Straight Story]

Cartoon Characters Neutralize Healthful Cereal Messages

It probably comes as no surprise to most parents, and regular readers of our blog, that kids prefer the taste of cereals marketed with popular cartoon characters.

But a new study suggests that a box sporting Shrek or Dora the Explorer may also make children forget their reservations about unhealthful foods.


Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communication gave 80 kids (ages 4-6) an unfamiliar looking cereal from a box labeled either "Healthy Bits" or "Sugar Bits." Half the boxes were decorated with cartoon penguins; the other half weren't.

After seeing the box and tasting the cereal, the kids rated the cereals on a scale of 1 to 5 smiley faces.



http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/03/08/134337236/cartoon-characters-neutralize-healthful-cereal-messages

[HopeHoops]

1. I remember when they were honest - "SUGAR SMACKS"

They changed the name a few times (Honey Smacks, etc.) but it's the SAME FUCKING CEREAL!

My favorite cereal name is from Calvin & Hobbes - Chocolate Coated Sugar Bombs

[magdalena]

2. These days we should be so lucky to find real sugar in our food. n/t

[HopeHoops]

3. Well, Pepsi did bring back some soda with real sugar - "retro" I think they call it.

I rarely do soda and only diet ginger ale or something like Sierra Mist - pretty much just as a mixer. The only other soda I'll do is Moxie.

[magdalena]

4. Yeah, I like the real sugar Coke and Pepsi

although I rarely drink soda either. To me it tastes totally different than the HFCS counterparts.

[Shandris]

6. Agreed, although I would point out there is a second primary...

...ingredient missing. Citric acid.

Which, for me, is a dealbreaker. I need the citric acid to burn away this small buildup I get in my throat, even though tastewise I prefer the Retro Pepsi 10 to 1. =(

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. ah color me surprised at this result,

really... kids prefer the ones with the penguins tapping happily, and the sun comes up every morning.

Confirming marketing 101 I see.

And we should be so lucky to get CEREAL in that box... do they still include grains?