FTC Food Marketing to Kids Update: Are Watchdogs All Bark No Bite?

Sept. 9, 2010 Where are we now with the whole junk food marketing to kids/obesity prevention discussion? Feels like we’ve been TALKING about "candy bars for breakfast" and citing Pink Princess Fairytale Flakes with ads for sugary slop on TV out the wazoo, along with advergaming (embedded digital trolling, seeding unhealthy junk food) and yet “the more things change, the more … [Read more...]

Should Kids’ Cartoons Sell Fruit & Veggies? Brandwashing Revisited

Sept. 16, 2009 Erma Bombeck once said, “My children refuse to eat anything that hasn’t danced on TV.” Quick! Mind snap: Did you blink to California Raisins boogieing to “Heard it Through the Grapevine?” If so, you’ve been ‘brandwashed’ by that award-winning iconic campaign from FCB so long ago… Next week on Sept. 21, two familiar icons and two slogans will be voted into … [Read more...]

Farmers Markets Go Digital: Find Healthy Food Near YOU!

Tonight Shaping Youth proudly hosts filmmaker Amy Kalafa of Two Angry Moms at Parents Place joining Farmers Market pals like Sarah Nelson of Fresh Approach who is stellar at getting the word out regionally to all the farmer's market folks who in turn inform us "what's in season" with handy charts like this one...But we also wanted to provide a searchable database for our … [Read more...]

Filmmakers Amy Kalafa and Amy Jussel Team Up Oct.20!

For those fed up with junk food in school lunch programs come stir up a recipe for change, as Shaping Youth once again hosts our “screen a movie, make a difference” film fest, this time with ONE of the TWO Angry moms in person! Filmmaker Amy Kalafa is joining us Monday, October 20 at Parents Place right here in San Mateo, before her screening the next day at the … [Read more...]

P.A.C.K. Week (Pack Assorted Colors for Kids) is ReBranded

Hands up if you’ve heard that TODAY is “pack purple day” to load lunchboxes with fresh blueberries, grapes, raisins, etc.? Um, yah, I thought not. Last year the "5-a-day" folks (now More Matters) launched a fun lil' marketing gimmick called P.A.C.K. week to color-code fruits and veggies, in an effort to raise awareness and consumption at school. So why … [Read more...]