Subway At It Again

September 19, 2006

Screen shot of actual classroom ad on Channel One News.

 

Subway is back on Channel One News and they are doing the same thing they did all last school year: advertising their highest-calorie, highest-fat-content sandwiches.

Students aren’t told what sandwiches are being displayed in this new ad, but these are not Subway’s famous low-fat fare.

If there are two types of products on their menu, higher-fat and lower-fat, why in the world do they insist on promoting the higher-fat items to schoolchildren?

Previous Subway ads on Channel One News.

Video: Ad for 1000+ calorie sandwich runs right before a segment encouraging students be healthier.

Video: "What are you doing?" is the name of this ad. We could ask the same question of Judy Harris, CEO of Channel One. This ad is for the 12" Chicken & Bacon Ranch sandwich. It is one of Subway’s highest calorie sandwiches. Ms. Harris also approved a steady stream of ads for Subway’s Chicken Parmesan sandwich (1,020 calories, 38 grams of fat).

These type of ads will continue to happen because Channel One News doesn’t have to be accountable to anybody. Channel One, alone, picks what products will be advertised. Each day, schools are surprised by what comes on their TV sets. They don’t know what’s coming, until it is on their classroom TV screen. That is why so many have turned off the Channel One News show.

Channel One’s revenue has been cut in half over the last ten years. They have not gained schools; they have lost schools. That happens because schools are fed up with show. Ads like these are one reason why Channel One News is slowly disappearing.