I'm shocked at Chef Boyardee's new ads.
Not shocked in a good way. Shocked in a "I can't believe that passed legal muster" sort of way. Here's a look:
In my own experience, it's been a ferocious arm wrestle to call things like pickles healthy or even suggest they might be better than other alternatives, simply because of the sodium content. Where does Chef Boyardee get off calling this microwaveable slop "nutritious"? Children hugging vegetables? Give me a break.
I'm less concerned with the lawyers who let this stuff slide and more concerned with the disingenuous positioning - ultimately, because I think it does the brand a great disservice.
Parents today are a far more saavy bunch when it comes to judging what's healthy and what's not. Organic is nearly mainstream. Sugar is taboo. Sodium is the new trans fat. School cafeterias are under strict watch with what they're allowed to serve - even sell in vending machines. And though they may not do cartwheels over frozen peas, young kids have a much firmer grasp on what's good and bad for their bodies - and care- than this advertising gives them credit for.
So the insight about kids not wanting to eat food they know has veggies in it - or perceive to be "healthy" - frankly, I think that's antiquated thinking.
This is the sort of advertising that can't help but get a negative reaction from parents. While I'm sure the great Chef's microwaveable bowls have an infusion of liquid vitamins to check the boxes and cover the bases, "nutritious" is still a massive overpromise - the kind that's only apt to make moms and dads more likely to reconsider what they put on the table for their kid.
I think the miss is obvious here, so I'll stop and call this OFF STRATEGY.
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