Estrategias discursivas en la publicidad audiovisual de productos de bajo valor nutricional dirigidos al público infantil: felices, valientes y obesos

Abstract

Los niños españoles ven una media de 9000 campañas publicitarias en televisión al año. La mayoría de ellas corresponden a alimentos de bajo valor nutricional. Dados los índices de obesidad infantil, la estrecha relación entre la publicidad dirigida a ese colectivo y el consumo de este tipo de alimentos, España aprobó en 2005 el Código de Autorregulación de la Publicidad de Alimentos Dirigida a Menores (PAOS). Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar las estrategias discursivas utilizadas en las campañas de alimentos de bajo valor nutricional, poniéndolas en relación con el contenido del Código PAOS. Utiliza para ello una metodología mixta que integra técnicas cuantitativas para el análisis de audiencias y cualitativas para el estudio del discurso publicitario. La investigación concluye que, a diferencia de otro tipo de alimentos, la publicidad de productos de bajo valor nutricional centra su estrategia discursiva en palabras y campos semánticos vinculados a la felicidad, la acción y la diversión, entre otros. Las conclusiones apuntan asimismo a la necesidad de revisar el contenido del Código PAOS, de una mayor implicación por parte de la industria alimentaria española, de agencias y de anunciantes, con el objetivo de que la autorregulación de los contenidos publicitarios resulte realmente efectiva. La contribución original del artículo radica en la aportación teórica y empírica que toma como punto de partida la obesidad infantil en España y la interrelaciona con las estrategias discursivas de la publicidad de productos de bajo valor nutricional dirigida a los menores y el marco normativo existente.

Obesity and food‐related content aimed at children on YouTube

“…The findings of this study confirm that the strategies used to advertise products with low nutritional value have a negative impact on child obesity prevention policies, as they encourage children to consume such products, affecting their calorie intake, and to associate them with positive emotions and experiences as a purchasing benefit, supporting the conclusions of Jiménez-Morales et al 38 The advertising content designed by food brands is less contro- der what the consumer experience of these children will be like when they are adults and still expect 'rewards' from brands due to a practice that has clearly conditioned them to associate purchases with prizes.…”

“…Instead, emotional arguments predominate 37 , p. 381. Moods and semantic fields associated with happiness, action, success and fun, among others, are also common in the discursive strategy of advertising for products with low nutritional value that target children 38 , p. 23. The energy the product provides after being consumed, contextualized in an atmosphere of competition, is also a common message in food advertising aimed at child audiences, along with contests, promotions and collectables.…”

Obesogenic Features of Food-Related Content Aimed at Children on YouTube

“…Based on the findings of this study, it is clear that content related to food products with low nutritional value on digital media platforms like YouTube is undermining obesity prevention policies aimed at children by encouraging them to ingest unhealthy food products by associating them with fun and enjoyment, consistent with the conclusions of Jiménez-Morales et al (2019).…”

Food brands, YouTube and Children: Media practices in the context of the PAOS self-regulation code

“…The scientific literature shows that the food brands with the biggest advertising presence on television in the time slots subject to enhanced protections for child audiences promote unhealthy products: foods high in sugar, high in calories, and with a low nutritional value (De-Sousa-Almeida, Nascimentoa & Bolzan-Quaioti, 2002;Harrison & Marske, 2005;Recuerda, 2009;Kelly et al, 2010;González, 2013;Romero-Fernández, Royo-Bordonada & Rodríguez-Artalejo, 2013;León-Flández, 2017;Peternella-Veltrini & Da-Gomes-Ribeiro, 2019;Jiménez-Morales, Montaña & Vàzquez, 2019). There is a huge discrepancy between the diet recommended by the most widely advertised food products on television and the normal diet recommended for school-age children (WHO, 2020); indeed, the list of most advertised foods is practically the inverse of any list of the most recommended (Menéndez- García & Franco-Díez, 2009).…”

“…The content of the PAOS Code needs to be revised to include the Spanish food industry, agencies and advertisers, with the aim of achieving effective self-regulation of advertising content, including product placement (Jiménez-Morales, Montaña & Vàzquez, 2019). Studies have shown a high level of compliance with the PAOS Code, especially the provisions related to the clarity and simplicity of the information presented in commercial communications for foods and beverages and prohibitions on the use of figures who are famous or familiar to children (León, 2018, p. 73).…”