Danone’s aggressive marketing criticized after free yogurt giveaway at playgrounds in Frederiksberg, Denmark

On July 27, children and parents at a playground in Frederiksberg Have received an unexpected visit from two employees of the French company Danone, who arrived with a cart full of free Danonino yogurt. Approximately 44% of the energy content in Danonino products comes from added sugar, akin to what is found in a Yankie bar or regular vanilla ice cream, according to Anne Raben, a professor at the University of Copenhagen.

This promotion has been criticized as aggressive marketing, particularly as experts highlight the high sugar content of Danonino products, which can be compared to ice cream or chocolate bars. In June and July, free samples were distributed at three Copenhagen and Frederiksberg playgrounds, totaling 5,000 yogurts across three distribution days.

While Danone stated the event was a “human error” and apologized for any discomfort caused to parents, this could potentially violate marketing laws that protect vulnerable demographics like children.

Jan Trzaskowski, a professor of marketing law at Aalborg University, noted that such promotions, particularly in child-centric spaces, could be deemed illegal. He emphasized that the intent behind the actions does not negate the legal implications, stressing that the issue could reflect a breach of aggressive marketing regulations.

Critics, including child health expert Cilius Esmann Fonvig and obesity researcher Anne Raben, pointed out the misleading nature of marketing Danonino as healthy. They highlighted that the products are unsuitable for growing children due to excessive sugar and fat levels.

Trzaskowski also called for stronger regulations, pointing out the potential exploitation of children’s persuasive power in product advertising, suggesting that recent incidents involving influencers have demonstrated a need for updated legislation in this area.