A Canberra girl has won an apology from Kellogg’s over the boys-only images on its Nutri-Grain cereal boxes. The food giant has since promised to put girls on the boxes too.
Daliah Lee, a second-year student from Belconnen, says she noticed the gender imbalance while eating her cereal one morning. All the images on the box, she said, showed boys surfing and mountain biking – but no girls.
“I thought, ‘Why aren’t there girls on there?’,” Daliah said. “Girls can do amazing stuff too. We don’t have to think one is better than the other. We’re all humans.”
However, Daliah’s first complaint got a cool response from Kellogg’s. “We’re sorry you were unhappy with this product,” the company replied in a letter, while also thanking her for “taking the time to share your views”.
Petition power?
Unsatisfied – and undeterred – Daliah then started an online petition to persuade Kellogg’s to do more.
It seems to have worked.
The company has since promised to put images of girls on Nutri-Grain boxes, starting next year. In a statement, it also defended its track record on diversity and inclusion.
“We’re very proud of our long history, inspiring Aussies both males and females to live unstoppable lives with the Nutri-Grain brand and, in the past, have featured women on Nutri-Grain packaging, in particular, Iron Woman Courtney Hancock,” a Kellogg’s spokesperson told Retail World.
“Hearing Delilah’s passion and, as a company that values diversity and inclusion, we’ve decided that we will update the back-of-pack imagery with images of both females and males. This will be rolled out in 2019, so that we can continue to inspire all Aussies, no matter their gender.”
‘Children are important’
Daliah says she was very excited to hear the news that Kellogg’s would be including girls in its Nutri-Grain imagery.
“I jumped up and down and screamed, I was so excited,” she said. “Finally, all my hard work has paid off. Children are important as well and need to be listened to.”
Despite Kellogg’s promise, however, Daliah is continuing to play hardball. She says she has vowed to stop boycotting Nutri-Grain “only when I see the evidence they haven’t lied to me”.
