May 1, 2004 12:00 PM

First, be honest

I read Betsy Spethmann's article about obesity [Feb. PROMO] with great interest, and found it to be a good overview of a critical and complicated topic. I was impressed at the efforts food companies are making to address health issues, but I did think that the article missed an important point. While the leading food companies talk a good game about obesity, they still participate in a few minor but clearly deceitful practices that undermine their attempts to portray themselves as the good guys.

A good example of this is portion size. As long as Coke, Pepsi or any of their competitors insist upon selling what are clearly single-serve bottles labeled as containing more than one serving (in order to show a ‘reasonable number’ in the ‘calories per serving’ line), I will have a hard time believing that they truly want to inform me about nutrition.
David Diamond
Diamond Associates

Food purveyors know that “thinking consumers” are a rarity, and by the way don't worry too much about “the consumers who don't choose to think.”

Walk into any fast food restaurant and compare the weight of the person with the food choices on their tray. At the counter you may hear, “I'll have a double cheeseburger, order of fries, and oh, I'm on a diet, so give me a large diet soda.” The same scene is played at most family restaurants. Walk the aisles of a supermarket and see what's in the consumers' shopping carts. Pre-packaged “bad” foods will significantly outnumber healthier choices. Are consumers stupid or are they just not thinking?

So when your six year old is with you in the supermarket, let's hope he suggests more healthy foods to add to your cart. Children learn by imitation: examples set by mommy and daddy; not by the repetition of those commercials sandwiched in with cartoons.
Dr. Elliott B. Jaffa
Arlington, Virginia

Super (?) Bowl

I enjoyed reading your editor's note [Promo March]. Thank you for shedding some light on the Super Bowl subject. Have we become so desperate as a society and marketers to appeal to such a small demographic group of individuals, the individuals that are stuck relishing locker room comedy? Is this really branding? Or is it short-term gains of attention and hype? Have our brands lost their values or have we?
Jeff Madden
Trozzolo Creative

Your March editorial is your best yet! I am always intrigued with the notion that TV spots with promotions outperform those without. (Don't really know if it's true or not.) Also wonder what [percentage] of national advertising in fact contains a promotion offer. Bet it's higher than you might think.

What led you to report that the Pepsi/iPod spot was one of the “best commercials of the entire Super Bowl broadcast?”

Keep pushing that envelope!
Bernie Trueblood
J. Brown Group

Editor's response: The iPod comment was simply my personal opinion, which I indulge in the editor's note from time to time.

Readers continue to debate the culpability of food packaging companies when it comes to the obesity issue; and the unsavory taste of the marketing surrounding the 2004 Super Bowl still lingers

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