The Story of a Heart Healthy TV Commercial

heart healthy cereal

Watch this recent heart healthy TV commercial from Cheerios as a YouTube Video.
Or click on the video arrow. Then answer the questions below the video.


• How did you feel after watching this commercial? (I thought it was very funny and sweet.)
• Did you notice anything unusual about it?
• Was there anything that you especially liked or disliked about it?
• Or would you say, ‘it was just another commercial’ giving you time to go to the kitchen to nuke the popcorn before the show resumed?

Did you know that this heart healthy TV commercial about Cheerios has caused a lot of controversy and attention? It is not about Cheerios and the pros and cons about their health benefits. It is about the bi-racial couple and the girl portrayed as their child.
Here’s a TV interview with the real life family of the girl in the commercial.


There was such a strong reaction to the commercial that YouTube had to shut down the comments section even though 95% of people had reacted favorably. But those who did not had the final word on YouTube. But then The Fine Brothers decided to use this commercial as a teaching opportunity. They interviewed a bunch of youngster about the commercial. This is what they had to say.

This is a TV commercial with the primary goal of selling a product. But it turns out to be much more than that. It is a commentary or a mirror of the current cultural make up of this country. It is also a sociological test. Did Saatchi & Saatchi have that in mind when they made the commercial?

Inter-racial families are becoming more typical of the American landscape. This commercial is merely a reflection of that. When complaints were made about the commercial’s family make-up, Cheerios did not withdraw the commercial from television. The company simply closed the comments section on YouTube.

Good for Cheerios. Not only is their cereal heart healthy physically but their company also has an emotional heart. That is the way I prefer to see the situation. How about you?

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