FDA Labeling: Informative or Infringement?

Abstract

There is increasing debate about whether government regulations intended to educate and protect the public interfere with corporate rights for free enterprise and consumer choice. This issue is viewed through the eyes of Melody, a rising star at a top advertising firm in the U.S. who is in charge of a major advertising account for a pizza company. The case explores her dilemma after learning of trending negative public opinion about fatty foods and recent calls for graphic warning labels (GWLs) on pizza. Melody discovers that pizza, like tobacco, is viewed as a demonized product. The role of government in balancing its public safety role of protecting consumers with free speech for corporations is explored through discussion of GWLs on tobacco products. As a marketing director, Melody must decide how to develop a marketing campaign for her pizza company client in the face of increasingly divided public attitudes toward government intervention in free enterprise.