Voluntary Industry Action Changes Food Advertising to Children

Brussels (ots/PRNewswire) - The food industry has
significantly changed the types of products it advertises to children
across the EU, according to data just released by Accenture Media
Services. The figures, to be presented to the European Commission on
Friday, show the extent to which companies have voluntarily
restricted the foods they advertise to under 12s altogether or only
to "better for you" options.

These results form the first monitoring report of the EU pledge
(http://www.eu-pledge.eu), a commitment taken by 11 food
manufacturers[1] in December 2007 to change the products they
advertise to children under 12 years. Representing approximately
two-thirds of the food advertising market in the EU, the company
commitments apply to all advertising on TV, print and the Internet
and came into force as of January 2009. As a public commitment to the
European Commission's Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health,
the initiative is subject to independent monitoring.

Monitoring was conducted by Accenture Media Services in France,
Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Spain, although the commitment
applies all 27 EU member states. The overall results show:

- A 93% decline in advertising for products that do not meet
companies' nutritional criteria in programmes with an audience composed
of a majority of children.
- A 56% decline in advertising for these products overall, i.e. in
all programmes on all channels at all times.

For all EU Pledge member companies' advertising across all
products (i.e. no distinction on a nutritional basis) this
represents:

- A 61% decline in programmes with an audience composed of a
majority of children.
- A 30% decline overall, i.e. in all programmes on all channels at
all times.

In addition, signatory companies committed not to engage in any
commercial communications related to food and beverage products in
primary schools, except where specifically requested by or agreed
with the school administration for educational purposes. Independent
monitoring by Price Waterhouse Coopers showed that food advertisers
were 93% compliant with their commitment.

Said Stephan Loerke, WFA Managing Director: "Industry has long
held that voluntary action can be more effective in a shorter
timeframe than government regulation. These independent data show how
self-regulation can help deliver on public policy objectives and why
it cannot be discounted from the policy mix."

The EU Pledge was facilitated and endorsed by the World
Federation of Advertisers and is a joint industry commitment to the
EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, chaired by the EU
Director General for Health and Consumer Protection, Robert Madelin.

The full EU Pledge Monitoring Report can be downloaded at
http://www.eu-pledge.eu

Note for editors:

The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) is the voice of
advertisers worldwide representing 90% of global marketing
communications expenditures, roughly US$700 billion per annum,
through a unique, global network: 57 national advertiser associations
on five continents as well as over 50 of the world's top 100
advertisers. Through the network, WFA represents more than 10,000
businesses operating in a broad spectrum of sectors at national,
regional and global levels.

WFA has a dual mission: to champion responsible commercial
communications and to facilitate a media environment which stimulates
maximum effectiveness of ad spend. More information at
http://www.wfanet.org

[1] Burger King, Coca-Cola, Danone, Ferrero, General Mills,
Kellogg's, Kraft Foods, Mars, PepsiCo, Nestle, Unilever

For more information, please contact Will Gilroy at
w.gilroy@wfanet.org or call +32(0)2-502-57-40.

ots Originaltext: The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA)
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For more information, please contact Will Gilroy at
w.gilroy@wfanet.org or call +32(0)2-502-57-40.