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The New Zealand Ministry of Health is disappointeda new children's sport initiative is slathered in prominent Cadbury branding.

The chocolate giant has joined forces with the New Zealand Olympic Committee, Paralympics New Zealand andKidsCanto launch the Donate Your Kit campaignnext month. They're asking for second-hand sports gear tobe donated via purple brandedcollection lockers throughoutNew Zealand. Almost 20 have already been set up at sports clubs and event centres.

Days before launch, Cadbury were forced to amend the campaign website. It had encouraged schools to sign up for their own locker, but CEO ofKidsCan, Julie Chapman, said no chocolate or Cadbury branding would be going into schools.

University of Auckland head of marketing Dr Bodo Lang saidif the logo and the colour appear in a school environment he classify this as marketing communication directed at children.

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Cadbury is supporting a new Donate Your Kit campaign where communities donate pre-loved sports equipment in good condition for kids who need it most.

Deputy director of public health Dr Harriette Carr said while the ministry backed action to encourage physical activity, "we are disappointed at the prominent branding of Cadbury on the campaign's donation lockers".

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"We note the current debate about the mixed messages children may receive from having a healthy activity linked with a less healthy one through sport sponsorship," she said, adding they were working on ironing out any confusion.

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University of Auckland head of marketing Dr Bodo Lang says children are not able to distinguish between advertising and non-advertising - they are very easily led astray.

Lang said commercially, Cadbury's approach was clever because it was apositive initiative. However, from a public health and social marketing perspective, it was murky.

"We've got to be really careful that we don't just slowly encroach on consumers, ie; children, that are not very able to distinguish between advertising and non-advertising - they are very easily led astray," he said.

"With any brand associated with children and schools and donations ... I think we need to make sure that those brands ideally stand for products that are very healthy and wholesome."

There was a need for communities and local and central governmentto say what types of advertising or sponsorship were permitted in schools, he said.

Cadbury NZ head of marketing William Papeschsaid the initiative aimedto help combat exclusion in sports amongst after recent research found onein eight New Zealand kids felt excluded because they didn't have the gear.The company would also donate 10,000 items of new sports kit to children in need, withKidsCanhelping to get the equipment to those who need it most.

"We are deeply concerned about childhood obesity rates in New Zealand and are very clear that our products are a treat that should only be eaten occasionally," he said.

"Cadbury has a strict no marketing to children policy and this campaign abides by that. No Cadbury marketing material is directed at children."

Dunedin dietitian Helen Gibbs said the programme sent a confusing message, and she was concerned by research which suggested kids tended to favour sponsoredproducts.

"Kids are very susceptible to advertising," she said.

"The kids say 'Oh look, it must be good because they've bought [sports equipment]'.

"High energy, low nutrient foods having a favourable association to sport in a child's mind could lead to life-long association of these ideas."

More here:
Experts question new Cadbury initiative to get children involved in sport - Stuff.co.nz