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Press Clippings and Media Coverage
New Kellogg's(R) Special K(R) Cereal Campaign Speaks Honestly About Body Image; Tells Women That Confidence, Not Dress Size, Is What Counts BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ via Individual Inc. -- For decades, "perfect" models have been at the center of our mass media fantasies. But now, one advertiser intends to challenge the notion of the "ideal" woman so that women everywhere can accept the bodies they have. Through a national advertising campaign that launches today, Kellogg's(R) Special K(R) cereal will speak honestly about how women feel about their bodies, challenging the stereotypes that have fueled women's insecurities for years. Recognizing that self-esteem is largely determined by how people feel about their looks, Special K cereal's "Reshape Your Attitude" campaign encourages women by saying there is no ideal body weight, only a healthful lifestyle that will lead to a healthier weight. "This campaign allows us to break through the barriers against an open discussion of the body image problem," said Karen E. Kafer, Director, Communications for Kellogg USA, the makers of Special K. "We want people to realize that beauty is more than a dress size or pounds on a scale. Real beauty is being strong and healthy and accepting yourself the way you are -- goals that every woman can achieve." In designing this precedent setting campaign, Special K went to women directly and took their pulse on the importance of body image. Through a national telephone survey that polled more than 500 women aged 18 and over between January 22-25, 1998, Special K learned that the majority of American women persist in striving for an ideal body weight and shape, with a special emphasis on dieting to lose weight. This is because almost two-thirds (62 percent) of American women believe that society holds an ideal image for a woman -- and unfortunately the average woman doesn't measure up. According to the survey, which was conducted for Special K by Opinion Research Corporation, a leading factor for women in determining ideal body size and shape is how supermodels are portrayed in television advertising (69 percent) or fashion magazines (68 percent), not how women are seen in real life. Women also say that how they are described by men promotes the notion of an "ideal" woman (46 percent) as well as how they describe each other (23 percent). Because of this emphasis on body image, the survey finds that many women focus on what they don't like about themselves, rather than their body as a whole. Fully half of the women surveyed (48 percent) said they were unhappy with their waist and stomach area while almost one in five (19 percent) don't like their hips or rear end and another 10 percent dislike the shape of their thighs. But the biggest problem, according to the survey, is weight. While the survey finds that 45 percent of respondents are satisfied with their hair color and 44 percent are fine with their height, only 14 percent say they are happy with their weight. To liberate women from these frustrations, the advertising campaign for Special K says that American women don't need to make apologies for themselves anymore. Using humor, irony and poignancy, the campaign's television spots and print ads drive home the point that being "one of the beautiful people" means having a positive attitude and accepting who you are. This message is endorsed by authorities in weight management and behavior modification who advocate a positive mindset about body image as the first step in making valuable lifestyle changes. In addition, studies on overweight people find that when these individuals give in to the reality of their body shape, they tend to learn new approaches to eating and exercise that result in permanent weight loss and improved health. The "Reshape Your Attitude" campaign gets underway with a wave of :30 second television commercials that will air on the national networks. Extending the reach and impact, a major print advertising component will be launched this Spring targeting women through a variety of magazines.
SOURCE Kellogg USA |
