Research published by University of Melbourne researchers has examined thousands of social media ads for unhealthy food, uncovering the strategies companies are using to attract sales.

A popular tactic used by Cadbury, McDonald’s and KFC, among others, is to piggyback on sport, sustainability or even gamify ads, which are targeted disproportionately at men aged 18-24.

Tanita Northcott, a lecturer at Melbourne Law School and co-author of the research, said the findings underscore the need for a comprehensive ban on unhealthy food ads on social media.

Northcott said there is clear evidence that junk food consumption is causing a variety of major health issues.

“These are the foods that are linked to health harms like obesity and cost healthcare systems an enormous amount,” Northcott said.

Junk food ads exposed

Social media platforms such as Facebook have become dominant players in the advertising market over the past two decades, and junk food giants spend millions to target their users with ads.

What researchers found was that companies are targeting specific groups of people and subjecting them to a torrent of messages in a bid to get them to eat junk food.

“The evidence is that there’s not only a lot of junk food advertising on Facebook, but that it does seem to be targeting vulnerable groups like young people,” Northcott said.

An 18- to 24-year-old male who donated data from his Facebook feed to the study was shown 201 unhealthy food ads in just 138 Facebook sessions within three months, or 1.4 per session.

In one session the person was bombarded with seven unhealthy food ads, including three that cross-advertised fast food retailers with meal delivery services like DoorDash and Menulog.

KFC was the largest advertiser of unhealthy food in the study (16.4 per cent of surveyed ads), with McDonald’s at 8.8 per cent, followed by Cadbury (7.7 per cent) and Coles (6.7 per cent).

Advertisers are also engaging in what researchers have described as “sports washing” and “green washing”, where they co-opt topics users are interested in to get their attention.

“Things like sports and challenges are integrated into these ads, whether it’s special deals on apps or free delivery – things that are quite strategic,” Northcott said.

Ads studied by researchers. Source: University of Melbourne

KFC, for example, advertised its products as accompaniments to watching football, while Cadbury has readily advertised its sponsorships of sports teams like the Wallaroos.

Northcott said cross-advertising of unhealthy food on social media is a key issue, and that any prohibition on junk food advertising online would need to include this to avoid any “loopholes”.

“Promotions for unhealthy food come not just from brands themselves, but also from other advertisers,” Northcott said.

Calls for ban

Northcott said the research supported efforts to get the federal government to prohibit ads for unhealthy food on social media, pointing to a crackdown on the marketing in Britain.

But the federal government has so far stopped short of any broad-based regulatory changes, with some experts saying pressure from big food and broadcasting interests is to blame.

There has been some movement recently, however, with a parliamentary committee recommending regulatory standards for junk food advertising to children aged 16 and under, a step that advocates have long called for.

That alone would not assuage concerns about young adults being targeted by the ads, though.

Crossbench MP Sophie Scamps introduced a bill that would have prohibited junk food ads last year. It was backed by the Australian Medical Association but didn’t get major party support.

The University of Melbourne researchers also pointed out that rules forcing Facebook and other platforms to be more transparent about advertising would be a step in the right direction.

At least then it would be easier to understand how unhealthy foods are being advertised online, Northcott said.

– TND