Obesity Debate Helps Walkers Grab Most Headlines
The ongoing controversy surrounding the role of fast food advertising in the growing obesity debate helped make Gary Lineker’s association the Walkers crisps the most written about ad in the UK national press last month.
The television commercial, which also features a scantily clad Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, took up more column inches than any of its rivals after being criticised in a scathing Commons health committee report on obesity (see Advertisers Grilled Over Relentless Junk Food Promotions).
However, Lineker vowed to continue appearing in advertising for Walkers, claiming that crisps could be eaten as part of a balanced diet. His comments came as food advertisers considered plans to fund a new body to promote healthy eating (see Advertisers Unite Against Ban On Junk Food Commercials).
Second place in the latest Ads That Make News survey from Propeller Communications went to Galaxy’s triple chocolate temptation campaign, which was banned following allegations of racism. More than 2,000 posters featuring the words ‘eeny meeny miny mo’ were withdrawn after complaints from equality campaigners.
Barclaycard took third place last month due to the recent signing of Jennifer Aniston and Sainsbury’s came fourth when Jamie Oliver made headlines for his simultaneous re-signing and pay rise.
Martin Loat, director at Propeller Communications, said: “As the junk food and obesity debate raged this month, it is obvious that the media would want to highlight ads featuring famous faces in its coverage. So Walkers’ long-standing Gary Lineker spots and the new Tara Palmer-Tomkinson commercial were obvious targets.
He added: “Such negative publicity may be unwelcome. But constantly being cited in newspapers and on television news means Walker’s can take some comfort knowing that its advertisements are a national institution.”
Other headline grabbing commercials included the much-hyped Trojan condom ad featuring a woman having an orgasm. The campaign secured seventh place after being screened in the first Big Brother break. David Beckham’s multi-million pound signing saw Gillette come in at eight and Churchill took ninth place after trying to stop sales of fake nodding dogs.
| Top Ten Most Complained About Ads May 2004 | ||
| 1 | Walkers | |
| 2 | Galaxy triple chocolate temptation | |
| 3 | Barclaycard | |
| 4 | Sainsbury’s | |
| 5 | European Parliament | |
| 6 | Australia | |
| 7 | Trojan | |
| 8 | Gillette | |
| 9 | Churchill | |
| 10 | Jaguar | |
| Source: Propeller Communications | ||
Last month a controversial television commercial for Ford’s new SportKa claimed the top spot in the chart of headline grabbing advertisements. The ad, which showed a cat being decapitated, was banned after sparked outrage from animal rights campaigners (see Controversial Ford Campaign Puts Cat Among The Pigeons).
Propeller Communications: 0870 066 4608 www.propellercom.com
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