Action taken by IDFA in August to protect the image of ice cream received a welcome response last week.

IDFA had expressed concern regarding a summer radio campaign that presented misleading comments about the ingredients in ice cream. In his response, Gary Gibbons, MD, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health, acknowledged that "the ice cream spot falls short of our program's expectations for appropriate health promotion materials." He reassured IDFA that future ads would be "better designed."

“IDFA greatly appreciates Dr. Gibbons’ willingness to revisit the message of the radio public service announcement,” said Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO. “We also value the National Institutes of Health’s commitment to promoting fat-free and low-fat dairy products as part of a healthy diet.”

IDFA had objected to a public service announcement, part of The Healthy Habits campaign, that said, "You know how ice cream is made, don't you? It's made from the stuffing in little stuffed animals." When the child cries, another voice says, "There are better ways to get your family to eat better." 

The Healthy Habits campaign was conducted in partnership with NIH's We Can! program, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Clear Channel Communications and the Ad Council. NIH launched We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) as a national movement to give parents, caregivers and communities a way to help children stay at a healthy weight.

• Read the letter from Director Gibbons here.
• Read IDFA's letter here.

For more information, contact Cary Frye, IDFA vice president of regulatory affairs, at cfrye@idfa.org.