Advertising of Kids or for Kids

Advertising of Kids or for Kids

Television advertising can have a negative influence on children. According to a recent study conducted by Ipsos MORI for UNICEF UK, television advertising tangles kids in a consumerist mode of thought, from which they are unable to get out.




Given the findings of the report, UNICEF’s British Division has asked the UK Government to consider reforming the current rules regulating television advertising for children of less than 12 years of age in the country.

It is not the first time that the restriction of advertising for children in the UK is supported. Earlier this year, a report stipulated by the Mothers' Union appealed to limit ads near schools.

Moreover, television programs that target children are still children’s favorite, according to the international study "Kids TV Report", carried out by the French institute of market research Médiamétrie with data from Eurodata TV Worldwide.

Italian children of ages 4 to 14 are those who spend more time watching TV, with a daily average of 2 hours and 46 minutes. They are followed by Spanish children between 4 and 12, who spent an average of 2 hours and 38 minutes a day in front of the screen.

In Spain, as in France and Italy, cartoons are kids’ favorite. Pokemon, Gormiti, The Penguins of Madagascar and Sponge Bob are those that are most accepted.

Finally, after the social complaint for using children in their advertising campaigns, Weetabix will no longer recruit children for them. This is what Sally Abbott, head of marketing for the company, explained.

The issue began this year when the cereal brand recruited 7 year old twins to advertise their products. This move made the Advertising Association (AA) pass a law banning the use of children in advertising campaigns.

The exploitation of children in advertising campaigns is against the Declaration on the Rights of the Child which establishes that “States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.” (Translated by Gianna A. Sanchez Moretti).

Author and journalist Clemente Ferrer has led a distinguished career in Spain in the fields of publicity and press relations. He is currently President of the European Institute of Marketing.
clementeferrer3@gmail.com