Owner of several famous ice cream brands such as Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Miko or Carte d'Or, the Anglo-Dutch agri-food giant Unilever will cease all advertising or communication targeting children under 16.
This was announced by the group last week in a press release, for the sake of “
supporting responsible marketing to children
”.
Since 2020, he had already refrained from targeting those under 13.
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“
As of January 1, 2023, Unilever will stop marketing and advertising food and beverages to children under 16 on traditional media and social media
,” Unilever says, noting that this principle s would
apply to "
Unilever's entire food and refreshments portfolio, which includes ice cream
".
In the same vein, other actions have been announced by the food giant.
Unilever pledges to no longer collect or store data on children under the age of 16, and to no longer engage influencers, celebrities or social media stars under the age of 16.
"
We believe people deserve a little treat every once in a while
," said Matt Close, president of Unilever Ice Cream Division, as quoted in the statement.
“
We are committed to marketing these treats responsibly.
This means we need to recognize the power of social media and influencer marketing on children's choices – and address it
,” he adds.
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If frameworks of this type already exist in the United Kingdom or Portugal, indicates the group, "
this is a big step forward for most countries in the world
", he says.
In France, for example, the regulatory framework is considered insufficient by consumer associations.
Only, since 2018, there has been a ban on advertising in programs aimed at children under 12 on public television channels, after a law passed in 2016. In March 2021, the National Association of Food Industries (Ania ) has pledged to stop advertising in programs and publications aimed at those under 12, including on the internet.