An ad campaign of dubious appropriateness

[thatcrazycajun]

Submitted for your approval, as the late Rod Serling used to say: a website called Fourthmeal.com, part of an advertising campaign by one of the leading fast-food chains to promote the notion of a regular meal between dinner and breakfast (eaten at their establishments, natch). (Fair warning: both sites are entirely Flash-dependent.) In the interest of full disclosure, let me admit up front that I often eat there myself; in fact, I did so today at lunch, which prompted this reflection.

Given the sociocultural context of our being the richest, fattest, heaviest-consuming and most poorly-conditioned nation on the planet; and that we are currently attempting to combat a raging epidemic of obesity (the experts' words, not mine), particularly among our youth—the age group most likely to be driving around late at night in search of food or some vague semblance thereof; and given that in some of the world's poorer countries, many people struggle even to achieve one meal a day, never mind four...am I the only one who finds this concept in questionable taste, at the very least?

Ought we to have a major food purveyor encouraging our already overweight teens to think of "Fourthmeal" as a daily habit? No one disputes their right to market their products, or even to promote late-night snackage. But to promote it as a full-fledged meal, to be included in one's daily routine along with the basic three, is quite another thing altogether—one that can only wreak havoc on the environment (packaging litter), the waistline and the pocketbook.

A more developed sense of social responsibility among the executives of the chain and its corporate parent, Yum! Brands, Inc. (also owners of Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's and KFC among other chains) would seem called for here. If they really consider being good corporate citizens more important than maximizing profits and shareholder return, methinks they should not be running ads that actively contribute to the problem. What do you think?

Comments

[wolfette]

to promote the notion of a regular meal between dinner and breakfast

Isn't that called "lunch"?

*g*

Breakfast

Elevenses

Lunch

High Tea

Dinner

Supper.

Mid-night snack.

The Hobbits were English, you know ;-)

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

>>The Hobbits were English, you know ;-)<<

You're not the only one who flashed on the Tolkien reference at this concept. And from what I hear, you guys in the UK are having almost as bad an epidemic of excess avoir-dupois as we are here in the States...though probably with a better healthcare infrastructure to deal with its outcomes.

[wolfette]

actually, there's nothing wrong with four meals per day, so long as the total daily calorie consumption isn't overdone. In fact spreading the calories out, eating several smaller meals instead of one or two larger ones, is supposed to be better for you. One of the skinniest women I ever met was an actress who, for many years, was on a diet that meant she had to eat every 30 minutes throughout the day. Most of these "mini-meals" might be just a few graham crackers or a piece of fruit.

[poltr1]

I think the problem is systemic: Big Food has become a powerful, profit-hungry lobby. It won't be long before they're pursued like Big Tobacco was. Soon we'll see warning labels on Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and other soft drinks.

I really should take this opportunity to put a plug in for The Hunger Site.

[ici1011.livejournal.com]

Speaking as one who works for that chain I see your point. Yes, I also have another. Many restaurants are now open 24 hours but they glorify heavy meals. Whilst we have what I call light food. Most of our late night customers are drunks trying to sober up ( alittle late aren't they?) or people getting off work or even going in to work.
The idea of Fourthmeal came about as a result of studying that many people get the late night munchies but don't want something really filling. Let's face it; you go to Jack in the Box or Denny's and you're going to spend $10 and end up getting something you'll probably have for lunch as well tomorrow. You go to Taco Bell and spend $2 - $3 and get something that will stave that munchie feeling.
I'm not just saying it because I work there either. I used to go there all the time. It was perfect when we wanted to get a bite to eat late night but didn't have a lot of cash and didn't want a big meal either. Thus, fourthmeal is perfect.

[harmonyheifer.livejournal.com]

I agree with ici1011. I don't care what they call it. Taco Bell's variety of individual menu items and lack of super-sizing the way the burger chains do it is refreshing and yes, I take advantage of that when time runs out and I need quick protein. The pintos and cheese and crunchy tacos are two of the best fast food mini solutions out there. I enjoy them without guilt a couple times a month.

[sodyera.livejournal.com]

I have stopped naming my meals. I find it gets in the way of consuming them.

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't have a problem with a fourth meal between dinner and breakfast, provided that it, and all other meals, was restricted to about 500 calories and fast food establishments were prohibited from promoting it.

Nothing to see here, really, this is just typical advertising agency stupidness. In about four years it'll be remembered as much as . . . well, come to think of it I can't think of any of the other stupid promotions that it would be ranked up there with. The Flying Spaghetti Monster has mercifully purged them from my memory bank. I really have to dig for examples of anything similar; the Ken Griffey Jr. for President campaign put up by Nike back in 1996 comes to mind. (He actually had to tell reporters, "Look, it's just a stupid advertising campaign" or words to that effect when they started asking him about his views on hot-button topics like abortion. Never mind that at the time he was still many years too young to actually run for president.)

[harmonyheifer.livejournal.com]

As someone who has been struggling with the Standard American Diet all my life, along with morbid obesity, I have to say, this is a big honking can of worms.

Three weeks in New Zealand really opened my eyes to how healthy the options in other countries are compared to ours. I also found that the absence of additives and over-processing there made it possible for me to eat products I could not eat here without a lot of pain and inflammation or a spike in my blood pressure. And add me into the column of people who eat several small meals a day. That is how I've lost nearly 75 pounds in just three years. I've got about that much left to go. Yeah, I was really that obese. Better now, but still a work in progress.

Oh, and for the record, Taco Bell and Wendy's are the only two fast food establishments where I will voluntarily eat. There are a couple things on the menu at each place that suit my diet and I use them when all of my other fail-safes have collapsed. Patrick says he can cook, but he has only done so once since we have been living together, so I control the vertical as well as the horizontal in the kitchen. If I am too sick or exhausted to provide healthy meals, things get ugly around here fast. Taco Bell or Wendy's are both quite often the lesser of quite a few other evils.