Posters, calendars and other displays

Companies are breaking the rules by ...

Distributing posters, calendars, clocks and stickers that refer to product brands. They are commonly displayed in maternity wards, nurseries, physician consultation rooms and clinics, places most likely frequented by pregnant women and mothers of newborns.

More and more, companies also produce posters, clocks and calendars that show the company name and/or logo but do not refer to a particular product. This may be a concession to the Code, but is nonetheless, a way of using the health care facility for promotion.

Chart 2 shows in which countries company poster and other displays appear in health care facilities. .

Other companies that distribute posters or other materials for display in health care facilities include Alter (Spain), Fasska (Bangladesh), Helios (Indonesia), Indofoods (Indonesia), Milisan (Germany), Mirota (Indonesia), Nam Yang (Korea), Parmelot (Venezuela), Podravka (Croatia), Sancor (Argentina) y Unilab (Philippines).

What time is it? Giving the hour comes with free advertising for Abbott Ross in certain hospitals in Korea, the Philippines and Peru. The Abbott Ross clocks bear the brand names Similac and Similac Advance. In Peru, Abbott Ross distributes a poster that lists 14 of the company’s breastmilk substitutes.

For Dumex, baby pictures are the popular theme for calendars, posters and clocks appearing in many health care facilities in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The name Dumex usually appears, which is also the name Dumex uses for one of its infant formulas. Other brand names such as Dumex 1 and Mamil are seen on posters in Malaysia and Indonesia.

A number of health care facilities visited in the Dominican Republic display calendars advertising Milco’s infant formula Milex.

In Bangladesh, Coberco Omefa distributes this
poster-size calendar showing a baby and pack shots
of My Boy Eldosoy and Eldoplus. The accompanying
slogan is "Nutritious food for the young and old."

Mead Johnson posters or calendars bearing the names Enfamil, Enfamil AR or Enfapro can be seen in health care facilities in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua , Peru and Guatemala.

In Bangladesh, Fasska advertises Biomil infant Formula and Biomil cereal through posters, clocks and stickers.

In Indonesia, Farley’s, Nutricia/Cow & Gate and three national companies advertise their products in health care facilities. A Farley’s wall clock advertises the infant formula Farley’s First Food and another, Farley’s baby food with the slogan "So Farley’s So Good". Clocks, calendars, posters and growth charts by Nutricia refer to the brands Nutrilon LA, Nutrima and Creme Nutricia. Three national companies, Sari Husada, Helios and Indofoods advertise baby cereals (which they recommend to begin at 4 months) with posters in health care facilities.

Meiji advertises its formula Meiji FMT via posters and stickers in Thailand.

Danone/Diepal promotes Gallia infant formula on posters, calendars, and stickers in Benin, Gabon and Niger. The Bledilac line of products is promoted in Gabonese health care facilities via posters.

Nestlé advertises Lactogen and Cerelac in Indonesia, Nan 1 and Nan 2 in Nicaragua and Venezuela and Cerelac in Bangladesh, the Philippines and Côte d’Ivoire through posters and calendars. In Germany posters and clocks advertise Alete, a line of Nestlé infant food products.

In Korea, national companies Maeil and Nam Yang have posters and or calendars in nearly every facility visited that advertise a brand of infant formula or follow-up formula . Nam Yang also has posters advertising its complementary food in some hospitals.

Snow Brand baby posters, calendars and clocks displaying the brand names Snow Brand F or Snow Brand P7L are displayed in hospitals and clinics in Thailand and Malaysia.

A Wyeth poster displaying the brand SMA in large letters along with photos of healthy babies can be seen in a clinic in Niger. Many mothers in Niger will remember that SMA used to be promoted as Son Meilleur Aliment (his best food). S-26 calendars and clocks appear in Thailand maternity hospitals. In the Philippines, Wyeth advertises its follow-up formula Promil via inflatable punching bags and wall clocks. Promil is advertised in Indonesia via wall calendars. Wyeth posters, calendars and growth charts advertise S-26, Nursoy or Promil in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Nicaragua.

Companies are also breaking the rules by ...

Distributing posters, calendars or other paraphernalia that depict adorable babies, breastfeeding mothers or images related to babies accompanied by the company name. Companies often claim that this practice is not in violation of the International Code because no particular product is mentioned. Although Article 6.8 of the Code allows company names to appear on certain donations of equipment and materials to a health care system, it is unlikely that the Code drafters had this sort of thing in mind.

The descriptions that follow illustrate how these materials serve companies as an effective way to promote their products within health care facilities. The practice allows them to link their names with babies, particularly happy and very healthy ones. Strategically placed where pregnant women and newly delivered mothers are most likely to see them, the images can have a strong impact on mother’s feeding decisions whether or not a product is mentioned.

Mead Johnson posters displayed in Bangladesh do not mention a specific brand name, but combine the company name and the phrases "Quality of Life" and "A World Leader in Nutrition" under a photograph of a baby. In the Philippines, Mead Johnson posters contain the slogan "For smart and alert babies". The background is red, black and white, colors associated with Enfalac in the Philippines. The same color combination is carried over to weighing scale mats marked Mead Johnson. Even vitamins are advertised on poster-size calendars using the same color scheme. The colors are clearly meant to form an association for viewers with Enfalac infant formula. Mead Johnson posters, calendars, clocks or grow charts are also seen in Thailand, Colombia and Mexico.

Nestlé poster in Maurituis

A Nestlé poster in a large hospital in Cyprus is entitled "Feeding the Baby". Only two of 16 panels mention breastfeeding whereas the others are devoted to how to prepare a bottle of formula. These posters usually display only the Nestlé name and logo, but in Indonesia and in Bangladesh, information posters also advertise Cerelac