If you were out and about in Times Square on Tuesday you likely came across 45,485 pounds of sugar piled high in the bustling area.
Snack brand Kind staged the stunt to bring attention to the amount of added sugar children—and adults—consume. Kind estimates that the average 9-year-old eats their weight in added sugar every year. The massive pile of 45,485 pounds of sugar represented the amount of added sugar American kids eat every five minutes, the brand said.
The American Heart Association recommends children eat no more than 100 calories, or about six teaspoons, of added sugars daily. But, children are eating much more than that—over 270 calories according to data in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Most comes from sweetened drinks, USA Today reported.
Earlier in the month, Kind, who’s mantra is that “if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it shouldn’t go into your body” published the added sugar content of the 60+ snacks across its portfolio two years in advance of the deadline recently set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for food companies to break out the added sugar content in their products.
Consumer experiences are a mainstay of Kind’s marketing strategy, from a handful of brand ambassadors standing on street corners giving out roses, smiles and snack bars to major events like the one in Times Square. The company says that it likes to “spread kindness” through its experiences and its Kind Foundation. The kindness message has helped build the brand and has been the mainstay of marketing messages and brand content.
Earlier this year it ran a campaign called “Pop Your Bubble.” The “bubble” referred to the social sphere we all live in of largely friends and family, all sharing similar opinions and views. Kind encouraged people to be more amenable to making friends outside of our own bubbles to connect with people of different demographics, geographics, cultures and so on. The idea was that in this politically and socially confrontational climate, a little understanding of people that we wouldn’t normally connect with might be a good thing.
Related articles:
5 Ways to Maximize Offline Engagement at Your Live Events
Network
