Advertisements in the mass media

Companies are breaking the rules by ...

advertising infant formulas, follow-up formulas, complementary foods for infants under 6 month and feeding bottles and teats in newspapers, magazines, television and radio.

Chart 7 lists companies which use the media for such advertising. Companies that advertise feeding bottles and teats are listed in Chart 12.

Other companies advertise in the mass media include: Alter (Spain), Demeter (Germany), Hero (Spain), Kölln (Germany), Helios (Indonesia), Nam Yang (Corea), Pureen (Malaysia) y Pascual (Spain).

Advertisements of infant formulas

While most companies would no longer dare advertise infant formulas in the media given the clarity of Article 5.1 and the prohibitions in many national laws, there are still a few companies which try to get away with it.

One example of this is where a company changes the design of its infant formula label and takes the opportunity to publicize the "new look" label as much as possible. In Uruguay, Wyeth publicized its new design labels for Nursoy and Promil in the Sunday magazine of the El Pais newspaper.

Some companies use their company names as brand names. In this way, any advertising of the company name naturally advertises the brands of products within the scope of the Code as well.

Nestlé, in Thailand, uses the name Bear Brand and identical logos on no less than five different products i.e. infant formula, follow-on formula, powdered milk, sterilized milk and milk with honey. Not being subject to restrictions on the advertising of milks for older children and adults, Nestlé widely advertises these products while simultaneously promoting Bear Brand. For example, one TV advert for Bear Brand shows a newborn baby being taken home from the hospital by his parents. The association of Bear Brand with a newborn infant is effective promotion for Bear Brand formula.

This Dumex ad in Thailand shows children at different stages
of growing up, thus advertising milks for all ages including Dumex infant formula.

In August 1997, Italian television advertised Mellin infant formula by showing a newborn baby and its mother, while a background voice says: "from the first day, remember, Mellin was with you ...". The next clip shows the baby as a healthy toddler continuing with Mellin baby food.

In the 10th Anniversary special issue of the Parenting magazine published in the USA^* and found in Mexico, Nestlé has taken out a full page advertisement for Carnation Alsoy, "a soy infant formula for baby’s first year". The caption "The Carnation baby likes soft music, warm baths and fuzzy blankets. Definitely, the sensitive type" and the picture of a wide-eyed baby half wrapped in a blanket, as well as a pack shot of the tin and a feeding bottle all combine to promote the use of the product. The text recommends switching to a soy formula if the baby is sensitive, and claims that Alsoy is 20% cheaper than other leading soy formulas. Only towards the end is breastmilk being the ideal food mentioned, very casually, almost in passing.

Companies are streatching the rules by ...

publishing information about a product without specifically referring to any particular brand. The overall message, however, is clearly for the dissemination of information about a product which falls within the scope of the Code.

In a Mexican parents’ magazine, a Mead Johnson full page advertorial on the physiological reflux of babies recommends parents to consult the doctor for suggestions on the right formula. The article coincided with the launch of Mead Johnson’s Enfamil AR, a special formula for reflux treatment. So without mentioning a particular brand name, companies get the message out that there is just the "special formula" which a baby with a particular problem requires.

Advertisements for follow-up formulas

Follow-up formulas are usually recommended for bottle feeding from 6 months, sometimes from as early as 4 months and up to 3 years. They hardly existed in 1981 when the Code was adopted. Over the past 15 years, however, follow-up formulas have mushroomed all over the world. Fearing losses in sales due to the explicit prohibition on the advertising of infant formula, the baby milk industry responded swiftly by creating the follow-up formula for the older baby.

Similarity in infant formula and follow-up formula labels

Many follow-up formula labels are very similar in design and colours to the company’s infant formula labels, which is a deliberate and skillful marketing technique devised to promote both the infant formula and follow-up formula together. Nestlé’s Nan 1 and Nan 2, and Lactogen 1 and Lactogen 2, Milupa’s Aptamil 1 and Aptamil 2, Wyeth’s Bonna and Bonamil and Mead Johnson’s Similac Advance 1 and Advance 2 are just a few of such examples. More and more companies have been following suit.

Since breastfeeding is the first choice for babies up to two years and beyond, follow-up formulas do replace breastmilk. As breastmilk substitutes they should not be promoted. The advertising of follow-up formulas gives mothers the impression that breastfeeding should stop and the artificial milk be given instead.

In Indonesia, Mead Johnson’s commercial for its follow-up formula, Enfapro, is aired during a prime-time TV drama. Lyempf, Nutricia and Sari Husada advertise their follow-up formulas in the local newspapers and parents’ magazines.

A Mead Johnson ad in the Phillipine Daily Inquirer

In the Philippines, Wyeth advertises its follow-up formulas, Bonamil and Promil on television and in the newspapers. The Philippine Daily Inquirer had a half page advertisement for Wyeth’s Bonamil in September 1997. The other half page was a general advertisement with a list of all Wyeth products, beginning with Promil, S-26, S-26LBW, Bonna, Bonamil and Nursoy. In the same paper, on the same day, Wyeth had another full page advertisement for Promil, promoted as "carefully formulated to supplement the solid food portion of the older baby’s diet" and "…not intended to replace breastmilk". Since breastfeeding is recommended for two years and beyond, follow-up formulas such as Bonamil and Promil necessarily replace breastmilk even if promoted for use from the sixth month. Both advertisements include the mandatory statement (in the Philippines) that "breastmilk is best for babies up to two years", but the message is a mixed one.

A Wyeth ad in the Phillipine Daily Inquirer.

In Colombia, Nestlé’s advertisements in magazines use the text "tu le das todo tu amor; Nestlé toda su experiencia en leches de continuacion" (you give him all your love; Nestlé gives him all their experience in follow-up formulas).

Some company advertisements recommend the use of follow-up formulas for infants under six months of age, often from the fourth month, which could in fact be interpreted as upon completion of the third month. Follow-up formulas have a higher protein content and should not be given to younger babies. The Codex Alimentarius standard for follow-up formulas states that follow-up formulas should not be introduced before the sixth month of life.

In Mauritius, Danone/Diepal’s Gallia is promoted for infants from 4 months. Nestlé’s Nidal 2 and Wyeth’s 2nd age Modilac are advertised for infants from the age of 5 months. Nestlé also promotes Nativa 2 and Nidina 2 from 4 months of age, in Colombia.

The advertising of paraphernalia is sometimes linked to the promotion of products within the scope of the Code. For example, Milupa in Mauritius advertises the Milupa Box, a container to store Lemiel and Milumil 2nd age milks. The advertisement for the Milupa Box shows packshots of both products and makes reference to them, thereby advertising the products themselves under the guise of advertising a container.

Advertisements for complementary foods

According to World Health Organisation policy as set out in Resolutions 39.28, 47.5 and 49.15, complementary foods should not be promoted for too early use.

• In 1986, the World Health Assembly directed the attention of Member States to the following: "any food or drink given before complementary feeding is nutritionally required may interfere with the initiation or maintenance of breastfeeding and therefore should neither be promoted nor encouraged for use by infants during this period"(Resolution 39.28).
• In 1994, the Assembly urged Member States "to foster appropriate complementary feeding practices from the age of about six months" (Resolution 47.5).
• In 1996, The Assembly decided that measures should be taken "to ensure that complementary foods are not marketed or used in ways that undermine exclusive and sustained breastfeeding"(Resolution 49.15).

Babies need other foods to complement breastmilk only from about 6 months of age. Although a small minority of infants may be ready for complementary foods before this age, advertisements reach all mothers and can have a serious impact on the length of exclusive breastfeeding.

In a parents’ magazine in Mauritius, Danone/Diepal advertises Bledina Bledi Dej milk cereals for bottle feeding, from the age of four months. It also advertises baby yoghurts for infants from 4 months. A Danone advertisement in a parent’s magazine in Colombia shows a mother and baby, and Danone yoghurt-deserts in feeding bottles for infants from four months.

A Pureen advertisement for baby biscuits in a health magazine
in Malaysia recommends it for infants from 4 months.

In Korea, Nam Yang advertises Step Umsun for use from the age of 100 days. In Germany, Hipp and Milupa advertise their foods for infants from the age of 4 months.

In Mauritius, Nutricia/ Cow & Gate advertised the launch of the company’s new Organic Choice range of baby foods as "ideal" for babies from 4 months old. The advertisement also offered readers 100 sets of 4 vouchers for these products, if they called a given number.

In Mauritius, Heinz advertisements in the newspapers and billboards use the caption "Heinz - the unforgettable brand ...Every Baby Shines on Heinz". No products are depicted but the picture of a baby in association with the company name brings to mind Heinz’s range of baby foods.

Promotion to the public
Point-of-sale promotion | Samples and gifts to mothers | Contact between marketing personnel and mothers