Canadian Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (Canada Pledge)
| Description and Objective: | The Canadian Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative is overseen by Advertising Standards Canada (ASC). Participants in the initiative have the objective of" shifting their advertising and marketing emphasis to foods and beverages that are consistent with the principles of sound nutrition guidance." |
| Number of Pledge Signatories: | 18 |
| Date Implemented: | Announced 2007; Implemented January 2008 |
| Definition of Children: | Under 12 years |
| Definition of Exempt Foods: | Set by each company provided that 1) Foods reflect the principal advice of Canada's Food Guide; 2) Foods that meet the criteria for nutrient content claims including "free" or "low" claims for calories as well as fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, salt as per the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Guide to Food Labeling and Advertising; 3) Foods meet the criteria for disease risk reduction claims, function claims and nutrient function claims as per the CFIA Guide to Food Labeling and Advertising; 4) Foods meet the criteria for nutrient content claims as per CFIA's Guide to Labeling and Advertising; or 5) Foods meet the standards for participating in the Heart & Stroke Foundation's Health Check program |
| Definition of Child-Targeted Media: | Not specified in pledge. Thirteen participants have committed to 25-35% or more of audiences of children under the age of 12, with the balance at 50% or more. |
| Communication Channels Covered: | TV, radio, print, company-owned and 3rd-party Internet, elementary schools, video and computer games rated "Early Childhood" or "EC," which are inherently primarily directed to children under 12, or other games that are age-graded on the label and packaging as being primarily directed to children under 12; DVDs of movies that are rated "G" whose content is primarily directed to children under 12, and other DVDs whose content is primarily directed to children under 12; and mobile media such as cell phones, PDAs and through word of mouth where advertising on those media is primarily directed at children under 12. |
| Marketing Techniques Covered: | Advertising in covered media; product placements in covered media; advertising using licensed characters, celebrities and movie tie-ins in children's broadcast media; interactive games primarily directed to children |
| Website: | http://www.adstandards.com/en/childrensinitiative/ |
Company Commitments
Click on the blue highlighted company names to access their pledge commitments.
| Name | Child-Targeted Media: Audience Definition |
Exempt Foods | Communications Channels/Marketing Techniques |
| Cadbury (now part of Kraft) | |||
| Campbell's | 35% or more of audience under 12 (no exempt foods when 35% or more of audience under 6). | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Coca-Cola | 35% or more of audience under 12. | No Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Dannon (Danone in Europe and Canada) | 35% or more of audience under 12 (no exempt foods when 35% or more of audience under 6). | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Ferrero | 30% of audience under 12. | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| General Mills | 35% or more of audience under 12 (no exempt foods when 35% or more of audience under 6). | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Hershey | 30% or more of audience under 12. | No Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Jane's Family Foods | 35% or more of audience under 12. | No Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Kellogg's | 35% or more of audience under 12 (no exempt foods when 35% or more of audience under 6). | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Kraft Foods/Mondelez International | 35% or more of audience under 12 (no exempt foods when 35% or more of audience under 6). | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Mars | 25% or more of audience under 12. | No Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| McCain | 35% or more of audience under 12. | No Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| McDonald's | 35% or more of audience under 12 (no exempt foods when 35% or more of audience under 6). | Exempt Foods | Core pledge, plus out-of-home ads |
| Nestlé | 35% or more of audience under 12. | Not Specified | Same as core pledge |
| Parmalat | 35% or more of audience under 12 (no exempt foods when 35% or more of audience under 6). | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| PepsiCo | 35% or more of audience under 12. | No Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Post | 35% or more of audience under 12 (no exempt foods when 35% or more of audience under 6). | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Unilever | 35% or more of audience under 12. | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
| Weston Bakeries Ltd. | 35% or more of audience under 12. | Exempt Foods | Same as core pledge |
