Alliance for American Advertising

The Alliance for American Advertising, the Wall Street Journal reported on January 26, 2005, "is the most ambitious effort yet to deflect government regulation or other intervention in food advertising aimed at kids, which critics link to high rates of childhood obesity."

The new lobbying group includes General Mills, Inc., The Kellogg Company and Kraft Foods, Inc. Wally Snyder, president and chief of the American Advertising Federation, states the purpose of the alliance is to defend corporations' First Amendment rights to advertise to children.

The alliance disputes health concerns raised by advertising food products, stating, "There is not a correlation between advertising trends and reccent childhood obesity trends." Former Federal Trade Commission chairman, Timothy J. Muris, is cited as complaining the advertising bans are "impractical, illegal and ineffective."

Members

 * American Advertising Federation
 * American Association of Advertising Agencies
 * Association of National Advertisers
 * General Mills, Inc.
 * Kellogg Company
 * Kraft Foods, Inc.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Advertising
 * Media and Childhood Obesity: Today and Tomorrow
 * Obesity PR
 * Obesity Working Group