New research finds that kids much prefer foods with a cartoon character on the front compared to those with more generic packaging -- even if it's the exact same food.

Most parents already know that kids usually prefer food emblazoned with the smiling face of their favourite TV characters than the one that boasts "high fibre" or "Promotes regularity". The food and beverage industry knows it too.

According to background material in the study paper, which appears in the July issue of Pediatrics, more than US$1.6 billion is spent each year marketing to young consumers, and 13 per cent of that total goes to character licensing and other forms of promotion.

To test just how much kids love their favourite characters, the study recruited 40 kids ages 4 to 6. Each was given three pairs of identical foods to eat:

  • Low-nutrient, low-calorie graham crackers
  • Low-nutrient, high-calorie gummy bears
  • High-nutrient, low-calorie baby carrots

Each food item was presented in identical clear packaging, with the name of the food printed at the top. But one package in each pair also featured a sticker of a popular cartoon character — Scooby Doo, Dora the Explorer or Shrek.

"These characters were chosen because of their popularity among young children, their frequent appearance in television programs, commercials, and movies, and their common presence on items marketed to this age group," explained the study authors.

The participants were asked whether the snack pairs tasted the same, or if one tasted better. Overall, 50 to 55 per cent of kids said the foods with the cartoon characters on the front were better tasting – even though the branded and unbranded foods were the same.

(Interestingly, character branding of carrots was not quite as persuasive; many of the kids didn't notice a difference in the branded and unbranded carrots, or even thought the unbranded ones tasted better. This, the authors suggested, could be because healthy foods use character-branding much less often than junk foods.)

The children were then asked which of the two items they would choose for a snack. Depending on the food, 73 to 88 per cent said they preferred the package with the cartoon.

The authors, from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., say the findings highlight the need to restrict the use of character licensing on unhealthy foods.

"Branding food packages with licensed characters substantially influences young children's taste preferences and snack selection and does so most strongly for energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods," they write.

"These findings suggest that the use of licensed characters to advertise junk food to children should be restricted."