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# Think outside the box: How advertising affects kids choices
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/advertising_affects_kids_choices_0308110729/
- Published: 2011-03-08T08:29:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:03:51.000Z
- Description: In a study of 80 children averaging about 5 years old, those shown a cereal box with a popular media character rated the taste higher than those shown a plain box, and those told the cereal was 'Healthy Bits' rated it higher than those told 'Sugar Bits.'
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Politics, #vivvo-import

by Aimee Keenan-Greene

Do kids judge food by the packaging?

A new study in the [Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine](http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/165/3/229?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=cereal&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT&ref=foodconsumer.org) says cartoon advertising can make a child think their cereal tastes better.

In this experimental study, children viewed 1 of 4 professionally created cereal boxes and tasted a "new" cereal. The boxes had various characters and a healthy or sugary name.

Children who saw a popular media character on the box reported liking the cereal more (mean \[SD\], 4.70 \[0.86\]) than those who viewed a box with no character on it (4.16 \[1.24\]). Those who were told the cereal was named 'Healthy Bits' liked the taste more (mean \[SD\], 4.65 \[0.84\]) than children who were told it was named 'Sugar Bits' (4.22 \[1.27\]). 

Character presence was particularly influential on taste assessments for participants who were told the cereal was named 'Sugar Bits'.

Eighty children participated (mean \[SD\] age, 5.6 \[0.96\] years; 53 percent girls) alongside their parents or guardians.

Children rated the cereal's taste on a 5-point smiley face scale (1, really do not like; 5, really like). 

Researchers concluded messages encouraging healthy eating may resonate with young children, but the presence of licensed characters on packaging potentially overrides children's assessments of nutritional merit.