Back in 1984, Special K launched a new advertising campaigning asking consumers, “Can you pinch more than an inch?”
It suggested that if you could pinch more than an inch on your waistline, you needed the assistance of Special K to lose that unsightly weight.
The commercials featured loved ones, coworkers, and even strangers pinching each other’s waistlines to check if they could pinch an inch. As if doing so was helpful and even playful.
This actually happened. A cereal brand attempts to sell more product by encouraging consumers to pinch themselves or others in order to determine if the were obese.
And no one at the time thought this campaign was problematic in any way. Not a single word of protest. In fact, it was deemed a successful advertising campaign that increased sales and profits for Special K.
It’s an ideal reminder of how quickly the world can change.
The American version of the commercials are nowhere to be found (not surprising), but the British versions can still be found on YouTube.
This was one of the commercials produced for the campaign:
