At a time when many are trying to achieve their New Year resolutions to
get fitter, TV schedules are littered with the dangers of obesity, the news has
increased coverage on the increased obesity of not only of adults, but also
children and also the Hairy Bikers top the charts with a book about their own
battle to fight their obesity, it is somewhat cynical that the industry
celebrates the promotion of 15 million children’s books by McDonalds. Some
would that this is a somewhat cynical promotion of heavily discounted
children’s books through the sale of what many would regard as junk food.
For the next two years McDonald's is effectively giving customers a
voucher for discounted participating children’s books to be used to redeem
titles for £1 through WHS. They claim 9 out of 10 parents responded positively
to their similar campaign last year and asked them to do more book promotions.
Why wouldn't they at £1 a title?
The National Literacy Trust are fully behind the promotion and obviously
believe that inducing parents to feed their children in MacDonalds is the
answer to getting more children reading and can make a real difference to child
literary and ‘well-rounded children’.
It’s as if we have ignored the Jamie’s campaign for better school meals,
ignored the news about the increase in obesity, ignored all the TV and media
coverage on the dangers of unhealthy eating and junk food, ignored our own
industry charts and diet books and rum to pick up a few pieces of silver
instead and done so under the banner that it will improve the numbers of
children that read.
We have seen the cost of unhealthy eating and lifestyles on the NHS. We
have seen proactive legislation and taxation levies on the advertising of
smoking and dangers of tobacco. We have banned tobacco companies cynically
endorsing sport. We are now witnessing a similar approach to alcohol abuse, but
we still fail to grapple with the soft drink and junk food endorsements of
sporting events such as the Olympics. Its as if money still talks louder than
logic.
The publishing industry, publishers and authors should step back today
and ask themselves if they are happy to endorse this somewhat cynical promotion
which is clearly aimed at children and whether they will, as a result, be seen
to have ‘ketchup ‘ on their hands.
