Mondelēz hung out to dry for 'dangerous' Dairylea TV ad

A TV ad for Dairylea, designed to showcase the curiosity and adventurousness of kids when left to their own devices, has been censured by the ad watchdog after a raft of complaints that it encouraged dangerous behaviour among youngsters.

Devised by VCCP London, the “Set them free with Dairylea” spot was the first activity from the agency the Mondelēz International brand following its appointment in 2020.

Seen on ITV Hub, All 4 and My 5 in August 2021, it featured two girls hanging upside down from a 5-a-side football goal post and having a conversation about where food went when you hang upside down. One of the girls opened a Dairylea Cheese Triangle and proceeded to eat it, whilst hanging upside down.

But rather raise a smile, 14 viewers were aghast and rifled off complaints to the Advertising Standards Association, challenging whether the ad condoned or encouraged unsafe behaviour that could be dangerous for children to emulate.

In response to the ASA investigation, Mondelēz UK insisted the intention of the ad was to show parents allowing their children to have more freedom. The children in the ad were six and eight years of age. The ad included two parents in the background who were supervising the children. Although the children were hanging upside down, they were nearly touching the floor and therefore were at a safe distance so as to not fall and hurt themselves.

Mondelēz also argued that, based on research the firm had seen, to which it provided links, the human body was able to move food into the stomach through peristalsis, regardless of gravity. It referred to a study that it said supported its view that a person’s ability to swallow was not affected by the position they ate in, including when eating upside down.

It also also referred to a letter, published in a journal dedicated to the study of resuscitation, which it said stated that being in a head down position was recommended during a choking incident. Based on the research, and because Dairylea was a soft food, it considered there was a very low risk of choking when eating upside down.

In addition, Mondelēz insisted that the ad did not actually target kids anyway, with an ‘ex-kids’ scheduling restriction meaning it was scheduled away from programming commissioned for, principally directed at, or likely to appeal to children under 16 years of age.

Even so, Mondelēz said it was no longer running the ad and would remove references to eating upside down if it used the ad in future.

But in its ruling, the ASA said although the ad was specifically for a soft cheese, it considered that younger children would be encouraged by the ad to mimic the behaviour in other settings, and with other foods. Therefore, it considered the ad condoned and encouraged eating while hanging upside down.

The watchdog also sought a view from the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), which claimed that the scenario depicted in the ad represented a situation where there was potentially a high risk of choking.

The CAPT said the challenge of breathing, chewing and swallowing safely in an unnatural position was potentially difficult in itself, and the risk was compounded by the further hazard of falling and incurring head and neck injuries.
One complainant had even reported that their three-year-old relative, after seeing the ad, ate their food while hanging upside down.

In light of this dossier of evidence, the ASA concluded that eating while upside down was an unsafe practice and one which could be dangerous for children to emulate.

Slapping the ad with a ban, the ASA also warned Mondelēz UK over its future activity.