(2007) Advergaming is shifting from online to mobile, so younger kids and parents need a heads-up to spot the spin. Here’s an updated piece with fresh new links from my last article about kids under eight “gobbling up” interactive marketing. This time we're talking more about tweens, but it's amazing to see how early the K-5 set starts toting cell phones: Is your … [Read more...]
Keepin’ It Real: Advertorials Purposely Confuse

Today’s “Daily Candy” e-zine, purporting to be the “ultimate insider’s guide to what’s hot, new, and undiscovered” is stumping for big box retailers, which tanks their credibility as a boutique ‘kids picks’ site for new and different offerings. They position themselves for "busy and hip parents" with an impressive … [Read more...]
Many Minds on the Media as Conferences Convene in New York
Today Common Sense Media and the Aspen Institute announced the schedule for February 5 & 6th's “Beyond Primetime” Media Conference in New York, and I’m hoping they’ll debrief us all via podcast or webcast. My keister is staying put this round, as I have a conflict on my slate and haven’t found a clone for myself yet. That said, CSM is taking … [Read more...]
American Idol Ad: KFC ‘Sneaky Snacker’ is Brandwashing

Normally I’d toss this American Idol-KFC "Buffalo Snacker" blurb in the ‘who cares’ hype hamper to keep from giving KFC more PR buzz, but frankly, this whole ‘hidden message’ ad trend has me tweaked. Aside from the toxicity of targeting kids with MORE KFC transfat-laden junk food on the season premiere of the über-popular reality show … [Read more...]
Advergaming Arcades Shift Toward Virtual Villages & Kid Vid

What do you get when you cross a top-rated TV show like American Idol with online advergaming? “Pop Tarts American Idols Live Tour,” a media+mind+body equation that adds up to a challenging counter-marketing focus for Shaping Youth. Preteens love "behind the scenes" info and being "in the know" which is why we use the same methods to deprogram corporate cues and … [Read more...]







