Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Claim “Misleading”

An advert for Kellogg’s which claimed that eating its Corn Flakes would make children “9% more alert” has been found misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

A voice-over on the ad said: “At the start of the new school term, give them a head start. Research shows that when they eat a cereal likes ours, kids are on average 9% more alert.” On-screen text said “Alertness measured by parents, comparing 63 children eating Kellogg’s Corn Flakes to 34 children skipping breakfast.”

In response to this ad, the ASA received 19 complaints questioning whether Kellogg’s could support the “9% more alert” claim.

Kellogg’s said that all the claims in the ad were supported by two scientific research studies, one on adults and the other one adults and children.

However, the ASA did not take into account the first study as the claim in the ad was about the effects on children. The ASA also said that although the second study appeared to show a difference in alertness between breakfast eaters and non-breakfast eaters, it queried the methodology used in the study and whether it proved the “9% more alert” claim.

The watchdog concluded that Kellogg’s claims as to alertness had been misleading. However, it dismissed other complaints regarding concentration and intelligence as the ad only made claims about children’s alertness levels.

ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk