Letter to Nutri-Grain

Dear Mr. Baynes:

I am writing as a concerned consumer. I recently saw a disturbing Nutri-Grain advertisement. This poster had a woman with two large cinnamon rolls for a bottom and the caption, “respect yourself in the morning.” This advertisement was for Nutri-Grain’s apple cinnamon breakfast bars. Though attention-catching, this ad did not motivate me to eat apple cinnamon breakfast bars; rather, it discouraged me from supporting this product. Please allow me to explain why, and what I hope can be done in the future so that I may continue to purchase Kellogg’s’ goods.

I feel that this advertisement is degrading to females. Some women are body-conscious, and I believe that this Nutri-Grain advertisement capitalizes on this insecurity. Distorting the female body image to sell a product seems very unnecessary to me. In fact, I find it disrespectful. As an educated and thoughtful consumer, I find it illogical to assume that choosing alternative foods over a Nutri-Grain bar will destroy my self-respect and add inches to my waistline. It is wrong to represent females in such a body-conscious and self-oriented light, and I feel this advertisement may only add to the growing problem of female body consciousness.
I hope to have a family one day, and I want my children to appreciate women for their intellect and acts of kindness. I do not want them to be exposed to advertisements that negatively represent women’s bodies and place emphasis on what they must do to be thinner.

I believe that Kellogg’s produces wonderful products, and I enjoy eating Nutri-Grain bars. I encourage Nutri-Grain to employ more positive advertising messages. Rather than use a degrading poster based on weight gain or loss, please emphasize that fact that healthy foods give a person greater energy or strength. Please do not pinpoint and degrade overweight females. This type of negative advertising does not encourage your consumers to support you. I am happy to purchase Kellogg’s products so long as its advertisements reflect positive values and do not perpetuate psychological harm.

Melinda Cummings

(Here is an example of a similar ad)