High Fructose Corn Syrup Fights Back: We’re Not THAT Bad For You!
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has a bad rap these days. For a while now, there has been a very vocal group saying HFCS is the root of all the obesity and diabetes in the United States. And the Corn Refiners Association has finally decided to fight back.
Most medical research says it’s the calories, rather than the type of sweetener, that makes a difference to a person’s health. And sugar and high-fructose corn syrup have identical calorie counts. It’s just the fact that we eat and drink so damn much of it. The average American consumes almost 70 pounds of High Fructose Corn syrup every year. That’s a lot of Fructose.
That lack of a consensus is exactly what the Corn Refiners Association is banking on. They’re investing in a whole ad campaign designed to build a more natural image for their sweetener. They have two websites, SweetSurprise.com and HFCSfacts.com, and a few commercials.
I’m still unconvinced by their commercials. They’re not informative and seem to play on the ambiguous nature of the issue. Still, this is their first try, you can bet there will be more and they’ll keep getting better.
2 comments
“[HFCS], like sugar, is fine in moderation”
I’m pretty sure that a drinking a jug of it (or even a glass for that matter) is NOT consuming it in moderation. One ambiguously addressed problem of many. They don’t do much better on the site or in the rest of the ad copy. It’s all done with great creative strategy/execution - a credit to the agency - but I agree, the message is shady and far from transparent.
I just love the television commercials. Like anyone who is vocally opposed to HFCS wouldn’t have a retort to their cute, sweetener-guzzling friend - who comes pre-loaded with industry talking points.
Advertising is a beautiful, modern and effective way to sell distortions… Cheers to the Corn Syrup producers for their troubles, but sugar seems to be on the up-and-up.
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