Last year, we complained about the ratio of Kraft food ads to the emphasis on the problems in feeding the hungry in the first Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco.
Even though the problem of hunger needs more attention than ever, the issue didn't get much help from this year's Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.
Last year's efforts contained two segments and the play-by-play announcer read copy concerning the plight of those who aren't getting enough food. If I had known this year would have been this bad, I wouldn't have complained so much about last year.
This year, we have one segment where players from both teams — UCLA and Illinois — go to San Francisco soup kitchens. The segment aired at 8:40 left in the first half. The play-by-play announcer talked us through the visuals without extra copy.
The Matt Damon Feeding America PSA aired first in the next commercial break. Other than the signage on the field, that was it. Ouch!
Previous coverage:
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl doesn't do much about hunger, except schlep for Kraft products
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl shows companies can step up to help those who need food
Kraft had its products on display, usually the first spot in the break. In the first half, we heard from Oreo Fudge Cremes*, Oscar Mayer carving board turkey*, Maxwell House* with its Drops of Good campaign, and Ritz Crackers* heading into halftime. The second half featured Velveeta Cheesy Skillets*, Oscar Mayer bacon*, Kraft Mozzarella Cheese with Philadelphia Cream Cheese*, Velveeta*, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese*.
This year's play-by-play guy, Carter Blackburn, threw in an extra Kraft mention with the video of crabs and other seafood at Fisherman's Wharf. Blackburn mentioned tartar sauce, then corrected himself to say, "Kraft Tartar Sauce, of course."
Groan!
The fighting hunger segment lasted 30 seconds. We saw more of Chick-Fil-A (outside its own bowl game) and Taco Bell than about fighting hunger.
Bowl games are about stories as well as football. You see athletes who get perks and advantages helping those who are down on their luck. Why not talk to the players and get their impressions about hunger and needing food? Why not talk to people who have had to turn to food banks?
We can handle time bought by Kraft if that would spread the word about those who don't have easy access to food. We can handle time donated by ESPN to spread the word on this cause. 30 seconds in the whole game? That's a joke.
Maxwell House, a Kraft product, used its 30 seconds to promote the Drops for Good to rehab community centers. This is a good example of a corporate-sponsored peek into helping the less fortunate. Having 3-4 more such examples, scattered throughout the game, would do a lot more toward having the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl actually fighting hunger.
photo credit: ESPN
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