Friday, February 20, 2009

Food Company Found Guilty of Violating Kid Ad Ban

In the Canadian Province of Quebec, it is illegal to advertise to
children under 13. And they mean it. This week, Saputo Inc., plead
guilty to twenty-two charges of violating the ad ban for using Igor
the Gorilla to market snack cakes in daycare centers. Similar charges
are pending against McDonald's, Burger King and General Mills.

Quebec's child advertising ban is wildly popular. A recent survey
found that nine out of ten Quebecers think that it is necessary to
control advertising targeting children. Most of the respondents
thought that the Consumer Protection Act (Loi sur la protection du
consommateur) banning advertising targeting children under 13 should
be enforced "more severely" (60%) or "as severely" (31%). For more
information, visit
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2009/01/junkfoodwars.html.