Clif Hanger

           Lately, I have been blogging about poor nutritional choices and the advertisements that are causing children to change their appetites and persuading mothers to start purchasing unhealthy foods. So I figured I would change things up a bit and provide my readers with a different side to advertising. This blog will be discussing a healthy and extremely appetizing snack for that I recommend and encourage for your children. In addition, it is even a snack that you may want to pursue yourself or recommend to a friend, regardless of age.

One of my favorite protein bars are Clif bars. I see the Clif company primarily targeting towards fit individuals because I feel like I always run into them being sold at the gym, next to the vitamin and supplements aisle at the grocery store, or being advertized in a health and fitness magazine. However, I do recognize a smart marketing strategy by Clif, which is targeting those who aspire to be fit and making these individuals feel like they are doing something right for their body by eating these protein bars. In addition, I also see these bars being a great alternative snack to fill your child’s belly a couple hours before meal-time, when your child is looking for something unhealthy to munch on.

            The first time I was introduced to Clif bars was at one of my tennis matches, when the mom who was in charge of snacks chose Clif bars for each of the players to eat. I was not an avid protein bar eater, so I was not familiar with all of the different brands offered. However, I loved the taste and the healthy vibe it gave me, so I have been eating them ever since. Currently, I continuously snack on Clif bars through the convenience of my university selling them in the Lucas business hall. I find these protein bars an effective way to get me through the day and keep me away from munching on chips or candy. Sometimes I like to think of Clif bars as my personal candy bar because they have flavors such as “cool mint chocolate” which resembles the chocolate bars and cookies and cream flavored ice cream.  

   Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the way Clif markets their product; this company is a great example of effective advertising and marketing. As an individual who aspires to enter into the professional field of advertising, I of course pay attention to the strategies that Clif uses in advertising their product. Analyzing one ad in particular, which I attached above for you to look at, there is a caption saying, “Not really the best time to worry about your energy.” The caption is followed by a picture of a mountain biker jumping in the air with his bike, causing dust and debris to fly in the air and create a smoky trail behind him. The scenery in this picture is natural and mountainous, as expected from the path that a mountain biker would most likely ride on. Looking at this picture, I immediately feel as if I will experience a high amount of energy and be inspired to do something daring and adventurous with my time. The ad makes me feel independent which is appropriate given the second caption that follows on this ad says, “Feed your independence.” This food product is providing a means to boost your energy and help you excel at whatever goal you may wish to accomplish, which I think is a positive encouragement for those aspiring to be healthy and active or even just looking for inspiration.  

This ad not only makes me feel like I am adventurous, but I also feel like I will have power when eating this bar. I do not oppose to these feelings because Clif bars will probably give me power and energy to excel. Glancing over the nutritional content, Clif bars may appear to have a large calorie count (200 calories on the average), but there is zero trans fat, twenty-three vitamins and minerals, and an average of fifteen grams of protein for each bar. Comparing this bar to a bag of Lays, which was introduced into discussion on my previous blog post, twenty chips contains almost twice the amount of fat. Lay Chips may not be even close to reaching the amount of calories in a single Clif bar, however there is little no nutritional content in a single chip and there is an encouragement of unhealthy eating once you bite into that first chip. Whereas the Clif bars fill you up and provide you with protein, nutrients, and motivation found through their advertising and packaging. After observing Clif’s nutritional information provided on their main website (www.clifbar.com), I learned that Clif also has a market for children- Clif Kid Z Bars.

These protein bars for children have a great slogan “nourishing kids in motion.” However, most kids will look at the image on the box, which is not exactly an ideal activity for children. Unlike the original Clif bars, the Z Bars for children are not promoting positive physical activity and interaction with nature when displaying a cartoon figure who is skateboarding on the outside on each of their individual bars and boxed packaging. Personally, I would not want my child to be encouraged by a food company to go outside and wheel around the busy streets on a skateboard. I do not consider skateboarding a way to be fit and active as there is very little cardio and physical body movement involved. In fact, it is an extremely dangerous activity and reminds me of the injuries and accidents that my brothers faced when they where younger and went through their skateboarding phase.

Although I am happy to announce that Clif bars has a protein bar line for young individuals, I must confess I was not pleased to discover the advertising strategy of Clif Z bars. This line of Clif’s protein bars is a great change to gain a new market and promote exercise and good health for young individuals, but the company is not taking full advantage of this opportunity. An alternative that I would suggest is displaying a child who is bike riding outdoors, swimming, or just in a natural setting and running around with fresh air and a smile.

I have always aspired to join an advertising firm in my professional years; therefore, I pledge to myself that I will that I will work for a company that benefits the welfare and health of society. I might see myself working in advertising for whole foods or maybe a natural cosmetic company if I do not decide to stick with the food route. As far as the rest of society is concerned, it will take time and more education, however, my hope is that companies will recognize the damage they are doing in relation to children’s health and view of what is considered healthy. But I also hope that parents do not let their minimally educated child partake in advertising’s various persuasions. So to conclude my posts, I leave you with a final “Clif” hanger: will you choose to let your children’s diets and perception of health be negatively influenced by media and advertisements?

Works Cited

Calorie Count. Lays, n.d. Web. 21 May 2014.

Clif Bar: From our Kitchen. Clif Bar & Co, 2014. Web. 21 May 2014.

Taking an Iconic Power Bar into the Social Branding Sphere. Ed. Guy A. Parker. N.p.,

11 July 2013. Web. 21 May 2014.

Lay's Lies

A couple days ago I ran across an advertisement on the Internet for Frito Lay potato chips. What initially struck me was the young girl who served as the dominant feature for this particular advertisement. This child reminded me of myself when I was a little girl; she was Caucasian, thin, blondish red hair, and freckles under her blue eyes. As she stands in the open country fields with a gold, glittery top on, it appears that the bite from the Lay chip brings her much happiness and satisfaction. I admire the American country feel that is prevalent in this picture with the grassy fields, blue sky, sparkly top, and classic potato chips that go along perfectly with an American hamburger. Knowing myself, I would not know better as a child to think about the calories, sodium intake, and negative health effects of Lays, but rather think about the enjoyment that this chip will bring when I hear the loud and slow crunch from each bite and savor the accumulation of salt on my tongue. The advertisement even clearly reassures the consumer that one will experience happiness and endless smiles from these Lays.

This advertisement is another perfect example of companies promoting an experience for their product. In this instance, Lay’s is promoting an experience of happiness as seen by the title, “It takes twelve muscles to smile or 3 simple ingredients.” In other words, a consumer will smile when eating these chips. Personally, this advertisement makes me want to step outside my dorm because the weather is currently in the high eighties and many students are swimming and tanning at the pool or enjoying barbeques off campus. The Lay chips would be a perfect addition to a juicy hamburger and assortment of fresh fruit.

The problem I have with this advertisement is parents will see this advertisement as they flip through magazines and immediately connect with the image on a personal level. Parents might see this ad as a source of happiness for their children as they see their own child in the eyes of this Lay’s model. Therefore, the parents are tempted to make the decision to buy their child Lay’s chip. This Lay’s ad also excels at promoting an unhealthy product in a healthy manner; this is one of my main concerns with advertisements in general. Under the main caption, the ad says “Just potatoes, all natural oil & a dash of salt.” Coming from a business background, I do see this phrase as an effective marketing strategy in terms of attempting to promote an unhealthy food choice in a healthy manner. However, this is where companies, such as Lay’s, are taking advantage of the market in an unethical way and individuals, especially children, do not have the time to go online and research the effects of potato chips on their body and health so they are gullible when it comes to selling an unhealthy product. So… for your convenience, I did it the nutritional calculation for you!

            “About a third of a potato chip is oil and two-thirds is potato, which is basically a light starch… and Americans are eating too much starch” (Elliot para. 21). According to Lay’s nutritional information, Lay’s chips contain 170 milligrams of sodium in fifteen chips, which is about one bag worth. This one bag of chips is close to ten percent of what our 1500 milligram suggested sodium intake is in one day, according to the Mayo Health Clinic.

“Many studies have shown that children who spend more time with media, particularly television, are more likely to be overweight” (Elsevier para. 11). I completely believe this statement. I think this works in multiple ways; individuals who sit in front of the television feel the need to snack on something, which is typically an unhealthy choice like chips, popcorn, or candy. My second reasoning is children who sit in front on the television for a long period of time are exposed to commercials like the Lucky Charms advertisement that I mentioned earlier in my blog posts. My final reasoning is when you are sitting on a couch watching television, flipping through a magazine, or connected to any form of technology for that matter, you are most likely not spending time outside running around or boosting your cardio and health. Not only are children attracted to the Internet and various activities that require no physical activity, studies show that media is also influencing their choices in not just food but everything in life. Media is a terrible misrepresentation of how we should be eating and what is healthy. If a young girl sees this Lay’s advertisement, she is going to believe that she could also be happy like the featured child in the ad. She is not going to ask her mom if this is a bad food choice for her; she will see how happy the child looks in the picture and realize this food will most likely bring her great pleasure as well.

Perhaps there should be a picture of an overweight child snacking on these potato chips from an extra large sized bag. I do not see a problem with eating these chips on a special occasion, but to associate one of the most desired expressions and feelings (happiness) with something so unhealthy is just unethical and the answer to why our country is becoming so obese.

Works Cited

Elliot, Stuart. "Promoting a Potato Chip Using Many Farmers, and Less Salt." New York             Times 25 May 2010. Web. 13 May 2014.

Folta, Sara C., Jeanne P. Goldberg, Christina Economos, Rick Bell, and Rachel Meltzer. "Food Advertising Targeted at School-Age Children: A Content Analysis." 38.4 (2006): 244-48. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

Frito Lay's. Advertisement. Ad Monkey. WordPress.com, 26 Mar. 2009. Web. 13 May             2014.

Nutrition and Healthy Eating. Mayo, 30 May 2013. Web. 13 May 2014.

Nickelodeon Promotes an Unhealthy Choice

            This past weekend, I happened to be watching TV at my uncle’s house with my five-year-old cousin. Due to my sudden interest in starting this blog about the media and portrayal of food in advertisements, I decided to pay extra close attention to the commercials. Gavin, my five year-old-cousin, was watching SpongeBob SquarePants on Nickelodeon, so I figured there I would come across perfect examples of an unhealthy food commercial.

            Sure enough, the second commercial that played was a Lucky Charms cereal commercial, featuring the classic Leprechaun. This advertisement was long, but definitely caught my attention. The eyes on each character were large and captivating. There were so many colors presented throughout the ad and each object portrayed had a glistening glow and sparkle for the magical effect. This cartoon made me feel like a kid again and introduced an element of fun, which was appropriate given the channel and show I was watching with my cousin.

            This show triggered an intense craving for the cereal and enlightened me of my past obsession for Lucky Charms when I was a child. However, I am now educated and smart enough to acknowledge the lack of nutrients within this sugary meal. I am not sure why my parents never discouraged me from eating Lucky Charms; perhaps they were fooled with the nutrient label on the front of the packaging or the fun and playful commercial that shows on nearly every children’s channel. My cousin even got sucked into the magical essence of the commercial and told me how he wished he could be eating that cereal right then. I asked him why he would choose Lucky Charms when he could have an assortment of fruit; he responded with, “I don’t care because it is magic!” This is when I was sure other children would respond with a similar answer because they simply do not know better than to think their meals are magical. It amazes me to first handedly notice the effect that an ad such as Lucky Charms can have on a young individual such as my cousin.

            When I returned back to my dorm room the next day and had free time to explore other opinions on commercials, I came across an article on Santa Clara University’s One Search about Nickelodeon’s junk food ads. I figured this was very appropriate considering my recent experience at my uncle’s house. This article, “Nickelodeon Markets Nutrition Poor Foods to Children” from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, shows a study that was completed on Nickelodeon’s ads; they found that eighty eight percent of the ads that Nickelodeon shows are considered unhealthy. One of the most interesting facts about Nickelodeon, that the article mentioned, is it is the most frequently watched children’s television station and “has great potential to influence the diets of millions of American children”(48). I could not agree more with that last statement. It is unfortunate that the obesity problems in America are extremely prevalent, yet Nickelodeon does little to fight against poor eating choices.

            This article has two authors: Ameena Batada and Margo G. Wootan. I was able to locate information regarding Batada and Wootan’s backgrounds in the article’s “about the author page.” Batada has her doctorate and masters in Public Health; she currently works at the University of North Carolina. On the other hand, Wootan attended Cornell and Harvard University to earn her B.S and doctorate in nutrition. They are both extremely interested in not only nutrition itself, but also the affects that the media has on our health and choices in life. According to the “about the author page” that is found through the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, “Wootan has testified before Congress and state legislatures and been invited to speak by federal and state agencies including at the National Nutrition Summit, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Academies' Institute of Medicine, and the Surgeon General's Listening Session for the National Action Plan on Overweight and Obesity.” Together they published “Nickelodeon Markets Nutrition Poor Foods to Children” which was originally published in 2007. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine publishes about current issues, interests, or concerns- especially in the field of public health. Found in the “about this journal” section, “Papers also address educational initiatives aimed at improving the ability of health professionals to provide effective clinical prevention and public health services.” Therefore, the article makes it apparent that they are mainly appealing to the professional level and individuals with a sufficient amount of knowledge in health.

            The major claim that the authors make in this journal is that companies, such as Nickelodeon, are promoting foods that are unhealthy eating choices. They established their credibility through various statistics. One shocking finding was that out of the twenty one food advertisements found in a Nickelodeon magazine, seventy six percent of the ads were marketing foods with little to no nutritional value (49). In turn, the authors hope that pediatricians and parents will encourage the discontinued usage of junk food marketing to children. “Nickelodeon should establish nutrition standards and apply them to the foods that it allows to be advertised on its television station and in its magazine, as well as for food products and restaurant meals for which it allows the use of its characters”(50).

            In conclusion, I admire the two authors of this article because they are extremely credible and present interesting information on Nickelodeon and their unhealthy marketing approach. I am absolutely convinced that Nickelodeon is unethical and making the wrong decision with their advertising; in relation, other companies are using similar tactics. In my future blog posts, I will be comparing and contrasting two different food advertisements in order to demonstrate how I believe food companies should properly advertise their products.

Works Cited

Batada, Ameena, and Margo G. Wootan. "Nickelodeon Markets Nutrition-Poor Foods to

Children." American Journal of Preventive Medicine 33.1 (2007): 48-50. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

the beginning

I have an unconditional love and appreciation for food. Our society has discovered endless ways to use food such as eating, skin treatments, healing through medicinal use, make into art, or sometimes weave into clothing or form jewelry products. Food is something that humans just can’t seem to get enough of. But here is an experience where my relationship to food was really strengthened and I saw more than just an object on a plate…

I recently traveled to eight different countries in Europe before I left home to commence my freshman year at Santa Clara University. Everyone told me that I would be in a food coma at the end of my voyage through Europe, and that I would never want to leave, which was exactly what I expected. 

            Traveling for a month in Europe was everything I could have imagined and more. I commenced my voyage in Germany where I was surrounded with various seasoned meats of all colors and flavors. The trip ended in France where I tasted and later purchased cheeses that left my suitcase with a subtle scent of freshly grated Parmesan. I felt like I should have gained ten pounds from all of the food I ate, but I surprisingly didn’t most likely from all of the walking and use of fresh products in the meals. One of my favorite European food memories was my first trip to Ladurée, a French café that is well known for their delicious, sugary macarons. When I took one step into the colorful café, I inhaled a particular scent that reminded me of fresh roses in bloom. The way the room presented itself made me feel worthy and of importance. Each macaron was neatly and properly set and encased in a sparkling clean glass casing. They were very careful about which color was placed next to each other. Being a girl who adores color and décor, I had to pull my camera out and snap a few pictures to remember the atmosphere that this café provided. When I had purchased my tiny and delicate macarons, which were close to three dollars per piece, I took a bite into each one and experienced flavors that resembled fruits, flowers, and sweets; one of my favorite flavors was the strawberry, which I thought was going to be too much, but ended up tasting like strawberry ice cream. I took almost ten minutes to nibble on all three macarons because I wanted to enjoy and savor every minute spent with this unique treat.

            However, I came to the conclusion that Ladurée’s product that they were selling was not their food product, but rather the ornate environment in this amazing location. After I ate my macarons, I didn’t even think about the nutritional information, the grams of sugar that I had consumed, or how many hours of exercising I would have to complete to burn off just one macaron. None of this mattered because Ladurée was selling me the unforgettable experience of elegance and luxury. This experience and finding is what inspired my desire to start begin writing this blog.              Currently, I am freshman at Santa Clara University studying business. I am fascinated by the different aspects that a business incorporates within their products, especially when it comes to food. Whether advertising on television, through billboards, or in magazines, I am arguing that companies are not selling products anymore; they are selling an experience or something valuable that one can acquire. In turn, this is resulting in bad eating decisions for our society, and more specifically children who are not educated and do not know better. A recent example is Campbell’s Chicken & Stars soup advertisement in the US Weekly magazine that featured an eight-year-old boy who appeared to be a genie of some sort. When I first came across this advertisement, I thought it was a clever ad to just promote eating Campbell’s soup. But there is much more behind this image. The spoon that the boy has dragged across the starry night sky resembles a magic wand and the two captions that appear below the table say “A universe in every bowl” followed by “The wisest kid in the whole world.”  Campbell’s is telling parents that there is much more than food in this bowl of soup; kids will experience mystery and perhaps magic and intelligence. In addition, this ad tells parents that this is the wisest choice because “the wisest kid in the whole world” eats this as well. The company was not selling the product, but rather an intellectual acquisition for one’s child through the consumption of the chicken noodle soup.

I started this blog not only because of my passion for food and my interest in the way it is promoted, but to spread awareness of the harm that advertising has on individuals, such as children. Although it may seem obvious that chicken noodle soup cannot make you smarter, children are drawn to these types of advertisements where they see themselves being the intellectual genie in the ad. The unfortunate part is that this meal has little to no nutritional content, which is crucial for a child who is growing and needs an abundance of nutrition in his or her diet. According to Campbell’s website, Campbell’s Chicken & Stars soup only contains 3 grams of protein and eight percent of your recommended daily dose of Vitamin A.

In my English class I was inspired by the many ads that we would watch in class and examine in magazines. I found this topic of the effects of advertising especially relevant to my personal life because I am studying marketing and have the professional goal of joining an advertising agency in my later years. My research as helped me to realize that I hope to join an advertising firm where the employees and company strive to benefit the health and general welfare of society. Perhaps I will work with a company such as whole foods or maybe a natural cosmetic company if I do not decide to follow the food route.

My goal with these blog posts is to inform parents about the dangers in food advertisements. I believe that parents are unaware of the negative effects that advertisements have on their children, so hopefully I can demonstrate what a good advertisement would be, and what to avoid. Companies are influencing children’s perception of what is considered a healthy meal choice. With little to no education, these children don’t know better than to think these are healthy food choices; in fact, kids probably don’t know how to differentiate healthy from not healthy. Therefore, parents should more closely consider what they are feeding their children because even though an ad may show thin and happy children eating macaroni and cheese, I can guarantee that there is no correlation between macaroni and good health.

Works Cited

Campbell Soup Company. Advertisement. US Weekly Jan. 2014: 15. Print.

Campbell's. CSC Brands LP, 2013. Web. 6 May 2014.

<http://www.campbellsoup.com/Products/Condensed/Healthy-Kids/2289>.