These characters pre-date the childhood obesity problem we face. Banning characters such as Tony from advertising is not the magic bullet we all seek. The fact that OFCOM set no restrictions on the use of these kinds of characters in advertising during its recent review would seem to support our view.
Recent research by Milward Brown shows that well over 90 per cent of mums think these are suitable characters to use when advertising Frosties, Rice Krispies and Coco Pops. In the last couple of years we have fundamentally changed the way we market our products to engage families with promotions around healthy activities and family fun.
Background - Milward Brown Research (April 2008) - How suitable do you think Tony the Tiger/Coco the Monkey/ Snap, Crackle & Pop are for advertising Frosties/Coco Pops/Rice Krispies?
Frosties & Tony the Tiger - 93% thought it was quite or very suitable.
Coco Pops & Coco the Monkey - 90% thought it was quite or very suitable.
Rice Krispies & Snap, Crackle & Pop - 97% thought it was quite or very suitable.