Misleading radio ad causes panic among children and parents

A RADIO advertisement stating that “fizzy drinks and fruit juice make our children sick” led to the severe distress of a child, who questioned whether her school was poisoning her by giving her fruit juice to drink.

- ZELDA VENTER

This in turn prompted her father to turn to the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB), who found that the advertisement by the Healthy Living Alliance was misleading. It found that the advertisement went too far in its shock value, leading the public, especially children, to believe that the consumption of sugary drinks will in all cases lead to chronic illness.

HEALA.org, a nonprofit organisation, used the advert to inspire the public to sign a petition in favour of the sugar tax. After the ARB ruled against it, the organisation turned to the Advertising Appeal Committee (AAC) to take a second look at the facts of the case. The complaint was that the advert creates the impression that any consumption of sugary drinks will cause disease.