3 thoughts on “Commercializing kids: marketing to the tiniest consumers”
This just reinforces the importance of shutting the damned TV off when you have small children. Yes, including Saturday morning cartoons! It starts in toddlerhood – I read that even 2 year olds can identify McDonald’s golden arches while driving by.
Advertisers are targeting the most vulnerable and the most vocal, those who then start whining to their parents to buy, buy, buy. Thanks for sharing this very interesting film. Great job you are doing here.
About the golden arches…when my now 2yo was between 12 to 18 months, he did recognize McDonalds ads, logos and signs while driving by even from a far distance, and first called it French fries, although we do not go there that often. But the worst to me was the first letter he recognized on the keyboard was the M and called it McDonald… By being instantly firm and telling him this is a letter, he changed immediately his appreciation.
Concerning all marketing items for kids, franchise and all, we simply tell him and repeat what we think it is: commercial rubbish with no real value that can be discarded.
Sometimes, I feel like a tyrant that’s persuading my kids in believing what I believe. But after all, this is education, and children have no sense of criticism, and finally marketers are using their same naiveness in a way that drives them away from freedom of judgement and away from us, so in this battle, I chose my side.
The Ethical Nag 
This just reinforces the importance of shutting the damned TV off when you have small children. Yes, including Saturday morning cartoons! It starts in toddlerhood – I read that even 2 year olds can identify McDonald’s golden arches while driving by.
Advertisers are targeting the most vulnerable and the most vocal, those who then start whining to their parents to buy, buy, buy. Thanks for sharing this very interesting film. Great job you are doing here.
What an illuminating little video – very compelling and shocking. Thank you for sharing this with your readers.
About the golden arches…when my now 2yo was between 12 to 18 months, he did recognize McDonalds ads, logos and signs while driving by even from a far distance, and first called it French fries, although we do not go there that often. But the worst to me was the first letter he recognized on the keyboard was the M and called it McDonald… By being instantly firm and telling him this is a letter, he changed immediately his appreciation.
Concerning all marketing items for kids, franchise and all, we simply tell him and repeat what we think it is: commercial rubbish with no real value that can be discarded.
Sometimes, I feel like a tyrant that’s persuading my kids in believing what I believe. But after all, this is education, and children have no sense of criticism, and finally marketers are using their same naiveness in a way that drives them away from freedom of judgement and away from us, so in this battle, I chose my side.