Lidl has introduced a new international children’s marketing policy that limits character-led packaging on its own-brand products to foods meeting World Health Organization nutritional criteria and the retailer’s additional standards.
The policy took effect in July 2026 alongside a partnership with PAW Patrol. The campaign launched in Germany and extends across 29 other countries, placing characters from the preschool franchise on selected private-label foods and fresh produce.
In Germany, the promotion covers 13 own-brand food products, including Vemondo oat milk, Milbona fruit yoghurt and Harvest Basket oven fries. Ten varieties of fresh fruit and vegetables are also included.
Every participating product must satisfy the WHO nutrient profile model for Europe and Lidl’s own requirements covering ingredients and product composition.
The partnership gives Lidl a way to use a popular children’s franchise while directing attention towards products that meet defined nutritional standards. It also strengthens the retailer’s positioning in German private label, where packaging, product formulation and responsible marketing are becoming more closely connected.
Lidl said that from July 2026, own-brand products featuring packaging aimed at children will only be sold when they meet both sets of criteria. Limited exceptions remain for seasonal occasions, including Christmas, Easter and Halloween.
The rule builds on a policy introduced in 2023, when Lidl stopped advertising own-brand products to children if they failed to meet WHO nutritional guidelines.
The retailer linked the change to concerns about childhood obesity in Europe. A WHO report covering data collected between 2022 and 2024 indicated that one in four children in the region was living with overweight.
Lidl’s collaboration with PAW Patrol forms part of its Conscious Nutrition corporate responsibility strategy. The wider programme is informed by the Planetary Health Diet, which connects healthier food choices with the environmental impact of food production and consumption.
The German campaign began on 20 July and will run for three weeks. It coincides with the planned theatrical release of PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie and will promote participating foods and fresh produce in Lidl stores.
For supermarkets and suppliers, the policy could influence how children-focused private-label ranges are formulated, licensed and packaged. Lidl’s international scale means the requirements may also affect product development decisions across several European grocery markets.
