CARU Takes Kellogg to Task for 'Bad' Apple Ads

CinnaMon and Apple compete in a race to the cerela bowl

Kellogg is under fire for disparaging apples.

The Children's Advertising Review Unit recommended that Kellogg discontinue its ad campaign for Apple Jacks cereal that feature a cinnamon stick and a grouchy apple. It also suggested that Kellogg refrain from "denigrating or disparaging" apples and implying that cinnamon gives the cereal its sweet taste.

Kellogg disagreed with CARU's assessment of the Apple Jacks Race to the Bowl campaign, and said it made sufficient changes to the ads during the CARU inquiry. Kellogg said that the ads are no longer running and, because of the CARU concerns, will not run them in the future.

CARU said the print, TV and Web ads show an agile, amiable, tall, thin cinnamon stick called CinnaMon and a short, round, devious and grouchy apple called Bad Apple. The apple schemes to beat CinnaMon to the cereal bowl, but fails.

Under its inquiry, CARU cited a section of its guidelines that reads: "Representation of food products should be made so as to encourage sound use of the product with a view toward healthy development of the child and development of good nutritional practices."

CARU said the message that could be taken away by kids is that apples are bad for them and don't taste good.

At AppleJacks.com last week, Apple still looked a bit grouchy, but has dropped the 'Bad' from his name. He and CinnaMon are still competing in a race to the cereal bowl. Apple says he is in training to beat CinnaMon because he wants the cereal to taste like apples. Kids can click to view a new TV commercial, play the bowl dive game, access sounds, wallpaper and icons or answer questions that they can find on the cereal box. The site promises lots of "hidden surprises" for kids.