Happy Meal toys could be banned in Santa Clara County - latimes.com

UPDATE: According to Happy Meals ban in Santa Clara County - latimes.com, it looks like the ban was passed 3 - 2. Apparently the ban covers much of Silicon Valley, so hopefully it won't upset the VC community there! It seems that the fast food industry has 90 days to come up with voluntary guidelines before the law goes into effect.

Back in 2007, as part of my predictions for the year, I wrote that The Advertising Backlash Grows and over the years, we've seen more and more legislation turning up, especially as it relates to advertising to children.

In a world where advertising is encroaching in every aspect of our lives and stealth marketing is increasing, expect to see more attempts to regulate how we reach our audience, especially children. When you add in the childhood obesity issue, well you're looking for challenges. Many years ago I heard someone say that childhood obesity will be the tobacco lawsuits of the future. In the US, we've handed over our personal responsibility to government regulation (not always because we want to) and if you don't think that's correct, just look at the health regulations that Mayor Bloomberg pushes here in NYC.

Brands need to step up and offer the right solutions before regulation gets introduced. They need to stop talking about social responsibility and actually make social responsibility a core part of their business model.

The latest target in the battle over fast food is something you shouldn't even put in your mouth.

Convinced that Happy Meals and other food promotions aimed at children could make kids fat as well as happy, county officials in Silicon Valley are poised to outlaw the little toys that often come with high-calorie offerings.

The proposed ban is the latest in a growing string of efforts to change the types of foods aimed at youngsters and the way they are cooked and sold. Across the nation, cities, states and school boards have taken aim at excessive sugar, salt and certain types of fats.

Believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, the proposal would forbid the inclusion of a toy in any restaurant meal that has more than 485 calories, more than 600 mg of salt or high amounts of sugar or fat. In the case of McDonald's, the limits would include all of the chain's Happy Meals — even those that include apple sticks instead of French fries.

Happy Meal toys could be banned in Santa Clara County - latimes.com.

The Future of Stealth Marketing? - Polinchock's Ponderings.