Picture this: Kids frolicking through sun-baked fields, the golden hue of the sun shining on their happy faces, tall wheat swaying gently in the wind, drops of crystal clear rain nourishing the earth. “Out here, fed by rain, nurtured by earth, kissed by the Australian sun, getting taller everyday…”, says the gentle young voice.
I feel warm and fuzzy inside. It taps into so much of my own personal psyche. As a kid, living in a small town surrounded by fields, I would spend hours kicking a ball about in the open air. They were the happiest days of my life. As a dad, I am fully aware that kids are our future. They need nurturing. And my kids deserve the best. They deserve wholesome, healthy, naturally grown, locally sourced food. Yep, you’ve got me hooked. I’m ready to buy. Just tell me what you are selling.
(Cut to Uncle Toby’s Choc Chip Muesli bar)
Er…are chocolate chips grown in Australia? Wouldn’t they melt in the sun? Can I take the kids chocolate chip picking at the weekend? The kids will be so excited.
I know, I know. Uncle Toby’s aren’t telling me chocolate chips are natural and locally grown. They are talking about the oats. But the intention is to give me the impression that these muesli bars are full of Australian sun-kissed wholesome goodiness. And that makes me angry, because they are not. They are full of sugar and preservatives and they are about as good for me as a can of coke. And at least the can of coke doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
So, Uncle Toby, here’s a few reasons why I don’t believe you.
I am influenced, but by many things…
Food is a hot topic. The media are awash with information about food security, prices, fads, the sugar debate, food labelling, super-foods and the obesity epidemic. It’s very confusing. But consciously and subconsciously all this information is going into our brains to form an opinion. Little by little, we are becoming more educated about the ingredients in our food. So repackaging the same crap is still crap.
I don’t like being talked at
Twenty years ago I soaked up advertising and believed it all. But today is different. I am not a food expert, but I know there’s more to a muesli bar than oats, even if I can’t list the rest of the ingredients. So telling me it’s wholesome only makes me angry.
I believe my friends
It’s a well-known fact we trust our family and friends more than government or corporations or men in white coats. So if you are making claims about your product, remember that we gossip and today gossip spreads very quickly.
What you can do
It makes me angry that a food company can think that putting gorgeous images of kids frolicking through fields is good enough. It’s not. If this sort of advertising annoys you, get on to Uncle Toby’s Facebook page and let them know: facebook.com/uncletobys
In case you missed it:
The broken egg 