The 'winners' of The Parents Jury's 2008 Children's Food Marketing Fame & Shame Awards were announced on October 8, 2008 at an event hosted by Cancer Council NSW's Kathy Chapman, with guest speakers Prof Louise Baur and TPJ member spokesperson Nicole Horton.

In the Fame & Shame Awards, Parents Jury members nominate and vote for the best and worst children's food marketing campaigns of the year, in four Shame categories and one Fame category for the Parents' Choice.

We wrote to all the of the shortlisted food companies, advising them of the reasons they were nominated, and issued the winners with a letter (PDF) and certificate. Here are the responses we've received so far (PDF):

• Krispy Kreme 
• Hungry Jack's
• NSW Health
• Sanitarium

The 2008 Fame & Shame Awards 'winners'

The Shame award for Pester Power - for using marketing techniques that encourage children to pester for unhealthy foods such as toy giveaways, movie tie-ins and celebrity endorsements.
Winner: McDonald's 'Kung Fu Panda' Happy Meal, for enticing children to want the Happy Meal using a much-loved movie, collectable toys and website promotion. Runners up: Smiths Crisps 'Footy Legends Tazos' AFL & NRL collectable promotion Hungry Jacks 'Dark Knight' Batman movie Kids Club Meal promotion
The Shame award for Smoke and Mirrors - for using manipulative marketing techniques that fail to tell the whole story about an unhealthy food such as "99% fat free" and added vitamin claims.
Winner: Kellog's 'Zebra Spots' LCM snack bars TV ads, for promoting LCMs as being a surefire lunchbox hit with kids and implying that kids are disinterested in healthier lunchbox options, while failing to tell the whole truth about the product's high sugar content. Runners up: Ferrero Nutella 'It Takes a Lot of Energy to Be a Kid' TV ads McDonald's Happy Meal 'healthy choices' TV ads
The Shame award for the Techno Hack - for marketing to children using new media technologies such as interactive websites, online games, free downloads, SMS competitions and social networking sites.
Winner: McDonald's Happy Meal web site, for promoting the Happy Meal brand to children via an engaging website which includes games, downloads, crafts, a discovery area, ecards and toy promotions. Runner up: Uncle Toby's Roll Ups 'Frubalia' website
The Shame award for the School Food Bully - for infiltrating the school environment with unhealthy food options such as fundraising activities and sponsoring school events.
Winner: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts school fundraising Runners up: Cadbury confectionery school fundraising Mars confectionery school fundraising
The Fame award for Parents' Choice - for the members' favourite marketing campaign that promotes healthy food and lifestyles to children.
Winner: Woolworths 'Fresh Food Kids' campaign, including TV ads, instore promotions, interactive website and community sports club grants. Highly commended: NSW Government Good For Kids 'H2O' health information campaign and TV ads Runner up: Sanitarium Weetbix 'Stat Attack' collectables crickets cards promotion

Based on the last three years' Children's Television Food Advertising Awards, the Fame & Shame Awards have been expanded in 2008 to incorporate the many new types of marketing techniques food companies are increasingly using to target Australian children.

The nominations process:

All Parents Jury members were eligible to nominate food marketing campaigns in any of the award categories thorughout the year, examples include:

• TV ads / promotional campaigns / competitions
• Magazine ads / advertorials / competitions / inserts / giveaways
• In-store (eg in supermarkets, video or fast food stores) promotions / giveaways / movie and TV tie-ins
• On-pack promotions such as use of celebrities / cartoon characters / movie & TV tie-ins
• Food websites specifically targeting children with games / competitions / giveaways / sign-up opportunities
• Computer games with food promotions embedded into them
• School and educational resource marketing including sponsorship / logo placement / giveaways
• School fundraising activities
• Viral marketing of products by messages being passed on by word of mouth / email / text message or blogs
• Text message marketing
• Social marketing campaigns promoting healthy eating or active lifestyle.

The voting process:

Nominations closed in September 2008 and the top three food marketing campaigns in each category were announced for all Parents Jury members to cast their final votes on the shortlists.