Chocolate Weetabix

I have just seen a new TV ad on UK TV for chocolate weetabix breakfast cereal. What horrified me was that the the ad is spoken entirely by a dog, a cat and a gerbil (real, not cartoon characters), all of whom endorse the product as delicious and healthy.

I have just emailed the company pointing out that chocolate is poisonous to household pets, and that the cereal will be eaten mostly by children, who from the ad may well get the idea of feeding some to their cat or dog. I don't know where else this cereal is being marketed, but it would be good if our UK members could also contact the manufacturer to show there is concern among knowledgeable pet owners. You can easily do it on the Weetabix website, where they invite email comments.

Haven't seen that here in the U.S. But, that is not good by any stretch. Giving children the idea that the cereal is good for them and their pet!!!

Today I have had a stupid reply from their customer services people saying it is not their intention to market weetabix for animals! That is so not the point. On Youtube, where you can see the ad, it says it is running in the US.

I've never heard of that brand before, let alone seen an ad for it.

Maybe it's not as common over there? But in the US animals are used in ads to market towards kids and even adults even when the product has nothing to do with an animal in the first place or would potentially kill them. The Cadbury egg commercials on in the US right now are an example of this. Ever wonder if any kid has thought their pet rabbit would like a Cadbury egg?
There was one that had a chimp (though it was really good CGI) picking out cold medicine...

No but cereal can resemble cat or dog kibble. Especially a chocolate one. I've never heard of that cereal. I'll have to look at the ad later. I think I'm more concerned about a chocolate cereal being marketed as healthy (I think some US ones are doing that too though). It's up to me to make sure my kid knows not to feed the pets her food and that some things are not good for them. I think most kids, regardless of any marketing they take in, will try to feed their pet human food. Or the pets will come eat what the child spills.

^The ones that are marketing chocolate as being healthy are the ones that are using dark chocolate. Though I can't imagine that would taste very great. Dark chocolate tastes better if you let it melt in your mouth a little, it can't very well do that in a bowl of cold milk.

Jenny, you're doing the right thing -- don't give up! Contact a TV news show and get them on the story. Enlist the backing of an animal rights organization, too. Bless your heart for taking action!

I'll bang an e-mail to them because i've seen it as well.

I've just had a reply basically saying exactly the same as your e-meil Jenny, so i've quoted a part in my e-mail and told her to re read it

"While this advert isn't promoting food for animals, a lot of people don't realise that chocolate is toxic to them and can cause death, and some people such as a child may think it's ok to give their cat or dog some as a treat!."...........ie Chocolate Weetabix

Well done, Susan! I am going to send a mail to the Advertising Standards Authority and to ITV.

Here is the add

Originally Posted by jennyranson

Well done, Susan! I am going to send a mail to the Advertising Standards Authority and to ITV.

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Yeah i'll jump on that bandwagon as well

The ASA demand you tell them when the ad was shown and in which programme. I cannot remember what I was watching, so now I am channel hopping the commercial breaks to try and see it again. Very annoying. Meanwhile the Daily Mail have told me they are not interested on the grounds that 'most people know chocolate is bad for animals'.

Originally Posted by jennyranson

Meanwhile the Daily Mail have told me they are not interested on the grounds that 'most people know chocolate is bad for animals'.

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Charming, but theres always one that doesn't!

I just put ITV because that's where it's mainly been on here. I copied and paste my e-mail, then their reply, then my reply back.

They should know what channel it's on here in the UK anyway because ITV is one of the main ones.