McDonald’s Fruitizz ad avoids ban
McDonald’s is free to promote soft drink Fruitizz as one of a child’s five-a-day after the advertising watchdog rejected complaints that the claim could not be proven.
The campaign launched earlier this year to promote the fizzy fruit drink as containing one of a child’s five fruit and vegetable portions a day. However, complainants challenged whether the nutritional benefits detailed in a TV spot could be substantiated.
The commercial showed children playing with bubbles in the shapes of fruits while a voiceover said: “Grape, apple, and raspberry juice with refreshing sparkling water. Fruitizz is full of fruity bubbles with no added sugar, artificial colours or flavours. And, it’s one of your child’s five a day”
McDonald’s defended the nutritional claims, saying that it had adhered to Government guidelines on five-a-day pledges. It argued that food producers and retailers do not have to use the Department of Health’s ‘5 A DAY’ logo and can instead use their own branded logos or messaging for customer information.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that because McDonald’s had used text in both the TV and banner advert to make its five-a-day claims clear to viewers, it was not misleading.
Fruitizz was launched in May as part of a wider push from the restaurant to dispel perceptions that it only sells unhealthy food and drink. McDonald’s supported the launch with TV, print and digital activity.
