There has been a lot of media response to new commercials, sponsored by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA), defending the image of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
On the off chance that you haven't seen any of these commercials, here's a sampler:
If you want a quick primer on the controversy, have a look at the Wikipedia page for the CRA. If you want a basic digest of the objection to the content of these ads, I think this article from The Huffington Post sums things up well.
And if you want an idea of just how much response these ads have gotten, or a quick laugh, search on Youtube for "corn syrup spoof."
But let's not talk about the nutrtional nuts and bolts of high fructose corn syrup here; let's talk about how these commercials work.
The first ad starts with a nice looking lady walking through a corn maze. Right away we're transported to idyllic times in the countryside with family. She explains that she cares for her family, something we can all appreciate. How can you not trust her?
In this ad, someone has done the hard work for us. Even with the best of intentions, it can be hard to work up the momentum to do the grueling research, especially in fields like nutrition, where any findings are hotly disputed. This nice lady has sorted through all the data, and is here to reassure us that everything is okay. Everything is okay with high fructose corn syrup.
The Corn Refiners Association released these commercials in the midst of a big slump in HFCS consumption. It's certainly true that among the nutritionally conscious, HFCS has gotten a very bad reputation. The new campaign of ads is a technique called rebranding - repositioning the brand of high fructose corn syrup to be associated positively in people's minds.
The makers of HFCS don't want to be perceived as the bad guys. The CRA now has its own Youtube channel, which airs the commercials online. Their front page even claims, "Our goal is not to present high fructose corn syrup as a health food, nor is our goal to increase consumption of high fructose corn syrup. Our goal is to clear up confusion about its role in the food and beverages Americans consume." Wisely, the CRA is trying to tell you that you can trust them. They aren't releasing marketing or propaganda to get you to buy or consume their product, they are just trying to "clear up confusion."
And on that note of branding, let's take a moment to talk specifically about the CRA. These ads, much like political ads, must include information about their sponsorship, and small lettering reveals that they are paid for by the Corn Refiners Association. And while attributing the commercial to the CRA is pretty revealing about the ad's intentions (to increase sales of corn products), it's not as revealing as giving the names of the companies in the CRA. If you're up on nutritional and environmental activism, you'll recognize - and be alarmed by - names like Cargill and Archer Daniels.
Now, the second ad, which I think is somewhat more blatant. In this commercial, the opponent of corn syrup appears to be a mother who wants her kids to have healthy food. But notice that she's also extremely rude, uninformed, and perhaps not very bright. She's unlikable, and her opinions about HFCS are contradicted by someone who's much more likable.
The HFCS-supporter-mom not only seems to know her stuff - it sounds like she's been rehearsing this conversation all week - but she's also very likable, and seems trustworthy. She's cool-headed, not getting upset when the other lady practically accuses her of being a bad mother and a terrible person. She's clever and well-informed. She's the kind of mom other moms want to be.
Some ads rely on information or logic to drive their point home. These ads are obviously not those types of ads. The information is sparse, and the characters are designed to gain your trust. This campaign practically relies on you being too lazy to look up the facts yourself, just like the lady in the second commercial didn't. But they covered their bases by giving you links to start with in case you do want to read about high fructose corn syrup: links that of course paint HFCS in the most flattering light possible.
Stay tuned for another sweetener looking to increase its popularity: Truvia.
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