AIU Online: The Marketing Scene

Topics

What you're thinking!

From: Hi Fructose

I may be oversimplifying here but I always liked Aristotle's thoughts on life-everything in moderation. Yes there is an obesity problem in this country.…

- Bethry

From: Is thin really in?

Positive reinforcement only goes so far with kids. Super thin models are not the only images that teens see everyday that make them think that anything…

- gypsycat

From: Is thin really in?

I understand that some of these said modesl aren't naturally thin but you cannot change that. You can only change what is in your life. If you don't…

- RoslynP

Controversy in Ads

Gluttony 101

Dr. Sabrina Segal

Welcome to “uber-Burger”- a place inhabited by mountains of fatty beef piled on lard-laced buns and topped with not-so-usual condiments such as potato chips and hot dogs…yes, you read me right – topped with hot dogs. Carl’s Jr. tested this shameful splurge over the summer, calling it “the ultimate picnic burger.”

It didn’t quite fly. Not for the fact that it was loaded with fats galore, sodium, and enough cholesterol to scare a cardiologist, but rather it was just a bit too weird, even for the Carl’s crowd.

“Americans are obese. And you can blame it on the fast food and lack of exercise all you want. Either way, Carl’s and Hardee’s are proud to help you maintain your burger belly and won’t be helping you ‘trim the fat’ anytime soon.”

Why did the documentary “Super Size Me” bore Americans?

Because we already knew what we were eating and enjoyed it. We weren’t about to let some careless journalist who ate too many French fries one month spoil the fun. In fact, “Super Size Me” didn’t heighten the weight loss consciousness of Americans at all. Instead, it fueled the fast food industry.

•   Carl’s Jr. Double $6 Burger: 1520 calories and 111 grams of fat
•   Hardee’s Monster Thickburger: 1410 calories and 107 grams of fat
•   BK’s Triple Whopper with Cheese: 1230 calories and 82 grams of fat
•   Wendy’s Baconator: 830 calories and 51 grams of fat
•   McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 740 calories and 42 grams of fat

Salads were a nice touch, and didn’t amount to much more than a good publicity stunt for McDonalds. After all, do you know anyone who frequents McDonalds for their fresh produce?

Late night talk show host Jay Leno attacked Carl’s & Hardee’s for using “meat as a condiment” citing menu examples like the Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger, a burger topped with sliced steak and cheese. The fast food giants unabashedly used Leno’s quote “This disgusting thing is 5000 calories,” to promote their full-flavored high fat agenda.

Darn skippy! We American’s love our fat, know where to get it, and don’t need talking heads to tell us otherwise. No one will interfere with our love for Carl’s Jr.’s answer to the smoothie- a 700 calorie frozen delight featuring whole fat ice cream with toppings like Cap’n Crunch.

Whatever Carl’s & Hardee’s “unleashes on the world, it’s safe to say it will be fattening, delicious, and made famous, however unwittingly, by food critiques, diet pundits and warriors fighting for the gastronomically correct.” Or is “incorrect?” Exactly!!!!

How do you feel about these unhealthy foods being offered at your favorite fast food restaurant? Are you afraid to say you enjoy a good high fat burger? And if so why? What are feelings on the marketing of fast food to children and adolescents?

Photograph Credit: Sabrina Segal

119 Comments

111. Brenda115 |Jun. 2, 2008 @ 2:35 PM

At the rate we are going in America with weight in 10 to 20 years we are looking at the average weight being 200 for a 5'6" female. Can anyone say tight fit!!!! It is kind of like Jared from the Subway commercials, he did not get that way from walking daily he got that way from EATING daily. When he changed his eating habits and just added walking to the Subway to get his sandwich well...you can see his results. As a former fat person I can say that with out proper food consumption and the amount of required exercise it takes to process then we in America are never going to change.

112. ry002jo |Jun. 2, 2008 @ 8:48 PM

We cannot blame fast food companies for making money when we support them by buying their products. There is a lack of personal discipline in our culture. We want everything now. Instant gratification is one of America's biggest down falls. No one wants to wait or put work into much anything, food included. These companies are not responsible for forcing us to eat healthy. They will provide products that are the least expensive to produce and sell it at a price that increases their profit margin and we buy them like fools. Our children don't have jobs nor do they drive. So why do we allow them to dictate what we buy for them. It's the fault of the indisciplined consumer parents. Without demand the supply would either end or adapt to the demand.

113. Beryl |Jun. 3, 2008 @ 6:37 AM

My feelings about these unhealthy foods being offered at my favorite fast food restaurant is you can eat anything you want. You don't have to eat 3 tons of it when you do.
I am not afraid to say that I enjoy a high fat burger. My favorite is my own: sesame seed bun, oil and vinegar marinated onions and mushrooms and swiss cheese with a good grade of burger. That, is the most wonderful burger I have ever eaten.

My feelings on the marketing of fast food to children and adolescents is that if at the store, the cereal is at the childs eye level. The cereal at the store for adults is at our eye level. And, the cereal for our children is at their eye level.

The stuff is our there. We are the ones who are going to make the choice of whether we buy it or not. And, we are the ones that buy it for our children to put in their tummies. Candy flavored cigarettes, three patty burgers and a hot dog on top, and get good old Daryl to buy me some booze and cigarettes and I'll be cruisin' Friday night with my girl...is about the way the teens will be thinking.

Who knows maybe for participating in some survey for $5. to get us to buy magazines, movies, trips, insurance, and whatever else they try to get people to buy will have a free trip to some surgeons hospital to receive a "free" procedure for enzyme injections after we and our kids have stuffed our arteries with enough plaque to explode. Beryl Irvin

114. JessDecena |Jun. 4, 2008 @ 2:02 AM

I don’t think fast food places are the ones to blame for our health problems and lack of exercise. Sure they offer fatty foods and not many healthy choices but we aren’t forced to eat their food. Even in the fast food industry we are given the choice to eat a salad instead of French fries but we make bad decisions. Often we blame the producer for our bad choices instead of ourselves. We can’t expect these fast food restaurants to stop being so fatty but we should expect people to be more conscious of their food intake and exercise routine. I believe if Carl’s Jr. started making salads instead of burgers we would just find another place to satisfy our fatty needs.
As far as their advertising techniques go I think they are doing no wrong. Carl’s Jr. is not lying about their 5000 calorie burger; they are presenting the facts as they are. We should be worried when they start advertising their burgers as a nutritious meal. Maybe those who are unpleased with this advertising technique would like to add to the fine print of the commercial or burger box that these many calories can cause health problems. Then again that kind of warning hasn’t stopped cigarette smokers so why would it stop burger lovers.
Jessica Decena

115. lvillagran |Jul. 11, 2008 @ 5:12 PM

Hi, I live in California where anytime is good for a burger. I agree with Gimple. We have to monitor and parent our children to make sure that they are eating the right food. That's why I always made lunches for my son when he was going to school. I think the school has worse than fast food. I think its okay to now and than indulge yourself with a burger and fries. :->

116. CarlaMcCoy |Jul. 11, 2008 @ 8:33 PM

When I read this article It angers me that so many American's can't see what's happening here. People don't take into account that obesity can cause heart disease, and diabetes. It seems to me that the Fast Food Industry has preyed on "convenience" for their customers of course, however at the same time they are filling consumers hearts with fat, grease, and future medical problems they aren't aware of or tend to ignore. Nutrition is certainly not part of the Fast Food Industries Menu. And not only that but one of the worst things a Parent can do for their child is buy them soda, or some of these fast food items listed in this article. What ever happened to good old fashioned Home cooked meals?? Parents can't say things like "Oh well the wife had to go to work to help out with the bills".. or "The wife wanted a career" etc.. and expect that to be the excuse of how they are too tired to cook after a long hard days work. That's what communication in relationships is all about is working together and it's BOTH parents responsibility to make sure their children are getting the nutrition they need. However, in America I fear consumers will continue to ignore these facts and continue to feed all the grease and fat to their families and still have the courage to stand up and say... "I take good care of my family".. This is a great article and it's one that more American's need to be aware of and take account of what's going into their bodies and their families bodies.

117. Jodisjt |Jul. 13, 2008 @ 11:33 PM

I do love to once in a while go splurge and get a fast food burger and fries. I am not at all over weight or anything but i do know how to watch what i eat. I believe that Carls Jr ads are completely disgusting. That is not the type of burger i want. I dont want a burger the size of a plate that has all the condiments falling out all over the place. I dont understand what looks so good about that but I choose not to eat it, there are a lot of people that think it looks good and they are the ones who buy it some may be overweight but you cant say they all are. Plus it is not our business what others eat is it? Its a free country right? I dont believe our country is getting overweight. Look at all of the skinny people out there. People complain about them too. I believe there is another posting about skinny models on this site as well. People just complain about everything and everyone these days. These fast food chains are just doing their job. They come up with a burger and advertise it. That is their job. And about the children being obese today. I believe there was another posting saying it is the parents who control that. I completely agree with that. I have a 18 month old child who of course loves her junk. Just the other day she saw a Dorito truck drive by and yelled "chips!!" Its not because she gets them all the time. I control that. That is my job as a parent. She also gets excited over bananas. She will yell through the store that she wants a banana. I will make sure that she doesnt eat all that junk. Yes you see a commercial it looks great but that doesnt mean you have to run to the restaurant and go get one everyday. When i grew up it was a treat to eat fast food. We rarely got it so when my parents took us their we thought of it as just that as treat. I think it made it even better! I believe that nothing is going to stop these ads. We just have to deal with it. People can make their own choices and parents can make the choice for their kids on what goes in their mouth. You gotta give it to most fast food chains now at least they offer fruit and milk instead of just fries and pop. They are giving people more of a choice. But remember people salads are not as great for you either with all that dressing and cheese and other toppings. It may sound better eating a salad than a burger but a lot of times its not. Its not just about what you eat, but how much you are eating.

118. Tangor |Aug. 23, 2008 @ 8:33 PM

I haven't read all the comments here, but I have read enough of them. What is said is true. Fast food is bad, especially in the large quantities we Americans are want to partake of them in, but not so bad in Moderation. There is really the key, Moderation. We Will eat high fat foods, whether at home or in a fast food joint, because we enjoy it and it's American to do so. We just need to moderate and regulate ourselves and our children. If we don't, we need only to watch "Supersize Me" to see what will happen, or just look around us.
Yes, I enjoy a good burger, but now partake of them in moderation and prefer chicken and fish to beef these days and eat a lot of fresh veggies and fruit. I lost a lot of weight and feel much better than I have in years. That says something in and of itself.

119. lindakay |Nov. 3, 2008 @ 8:05 PM

Hard to believe that the company who got sued for making people fat actually has the healthier sandwich. Who would eat a sandwich that takes up all their calorie count for one day.

« First < 10 11 12

Sign-in & Let your voice be heard!