Kellogg’s Exonerated by UK’s ASA Over ‘Irresponsible’ ad

Claims that a Kellogg’s Coco Pops advert directly targeted children, encouraging them to eat a high sugar level snack, have been rejected by the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA).

The popular children’s cereal used an ad featuring the cartoon monkey character Coco dressed in school uniform along with the words, “Ever thought of Coco Pops after school?”

UK advocacy group, Sustain, branded the advert irresponsible and claimed it encouraged children to eat two bowls of cereal a day.

But the ASA disagreed and said: “We noted the ad referred only to specifically consuming Coco Pops after-school and did not refer to other times, such as breakfast, when they might be consumed.

“We accepted that it was likely that Coco Pops would replace an after-school snack rather than serving as an additional eating occasion or replacing a main meal, and considered that, in those circumstances, a serving of Coco Pops with milk could be accommodated within a healthy balanced diet.”