Promoting to children is a tricky business. They are the end users of course and definitely create the demand but parents usually have the last word since it’s their money (and their kid). Hawking a kids’ meal that also just happens to have a toy in it used to be considered sleazy until it became the norm. Now that childhood obesity rates are alarming – nearly 20% of children aged 6-19 are obese – fast food marketers have been highlighting their healthier offerings. But “healthier” is a word with a hazy definition when it comes to fast food. Salad can be good for you, minus any cheese, bacon, or fatty dressing.
Subway restaurants, which recently launched a new marketing campaign featuring Olympian Michael Phelps has also announced a partnership with National Geographic Kids magazine. Their Subway Kids Taste for Adventure promotion includes a “fit for kids” meal with collectible toys such as compass, endangered species expedition map, journal, hat, step tracker or adventure holder. The nationwide promotion, which ends Oct. 31, is supported with a magazine cover wrap, themed cards in the magazine and a Web site at kids.nationalgeographic.com.
I love this promotion, not only because it offers a healthy meal but also because, for a change, that meal does not include an action figure tied into a film release. Sure, it’s not as sexy as an action figure but it’s stimulating young minds instead. It will appeal to Moms trying to combat the inevitable summer brain drain that occurs when school and learning is the furthest thing from young minds. In addition to the high childhood obesity rates of our nation, we also trail other countries in science scores. Reading National Geographic instills a healthy interest in the world around us and now this promotion will stimulate healthy bodies, too.
