A coalition of consumer advocacy and privacy organizations filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission stating that PepsiCo and its subsidiary Frito-Lay are targeting youth with branded entertainment that constitutes advertising. The complaint states that this constitutes deceptive advertising. “These companies are targeting youth with chips and sodas, using advertising that is masquerading as entertainment,” said Jeffrey Chester, of the Center for Digital Democracy.
The FTC, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Agriculture recently submitted proposed voluntary guidelines for food marketers in April that suggested limits on the way foods are marketed online and offline. The guidelines will not include marketing directed at children aged 12 to 17.