7.11 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Burger branding for young ones

Published
By Agencies

Catch them young. McDonald's is doing just that.

According to the latest study on the effects of branding on young children published in Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine: Most three- and five-year-olds who taste-tested a variety of foods said they preferred the ones in the McDonald's wrapper – even though the foods were the same.

The study had 63 children, ages three and five, sample five foods: chicken nuggets, a hamburger, french fries (from McDonalds), baby carrots and milk (from a grocery store).

Each food item was divided into two portions: one wrapped in a McDonald's wrapper or placed in a McDonald's bag and the other in a wrapper without the McDonald's logo.

After taste-testing, the children more often said the chicken nuggets, fries, carrots and milk wrapped in the McDonald's logo tasted better.

Other interesting findings of the survey are: McDonald's spends more than $1 billion (Dh3,67bn) per year on US advertising; One-third of the children ate at McDonald's more than once a week; Three-quarters had McDonald's toys at home; More than 50 per cent had a TV in their bedrooms.