Packaging Boyhood: Corporate Pirates Raid Boys’ Souls

Evidently "snips and snails and puppy dog tails" are out...Tween preening is in...And pirates are looking for gold... Disney’s September debut of kiddie cologne for boys aged 4-11 in fragrances like Pirates of the Caribbean and Buzz Lightyear is a case in point...The time is ripe to research how Packaging Boyhood is impacting children’s behavioral … [Read more...]

Will Kids Go For The “FryPod?” Brandwashing Nutritious Fare

Dragging their buns far behind the rest of the junk food giants in the compliance arena, Burger King is introducing a crisp first strike on the PR front with The Fry Pod, apple slices cut to look like fries, packaged in a traditional BK sleeve. In a nod to Stanford’s recent study that food packaging not only influences kids’ preferences but makes them favor the … [Read more...]

YPulse Tween Mashup: A Convergence of Marketers & Missions

What's a YPulse TWEEN Mashup? I'd say it’s a mishmash of exciting people and conversations that erase the polarity between any two sectors to smush the thinking into a fresh point of view. Nonprofits and for profits. Youth and adults. Academics and entertainment. Teachers and students. Sometimes even outreach and outrage in the marketing and advocacy realm. The … [Read more...]

Mining Kids’ Preferences: Will Facebook Ads Turn it Into MySpace?

"Fan of Froot Loops? Facebook Has an Ad for You," writes The Wired Campus’ Andrea L. Foster in this mini-brief on Facebook’s fall plans to push advertisements on teens based on hobbies, hangouts, travel tastes and faves... Up until now, advertisers on the popular social-networking site have only used gender, age, and location...The new game plan for Facebook? … [Read more...]

Energy Craze Run Amok: Caffeine Comes to Potato Chips?

“Not recommended for young children,” reads the warning on the NRG Phoenix Fury Potato Chip package. Yep, that’s right folks, news reports confirm a new entry in my ‘yougaddabefreakinkiddinme’ marketing file. Kiddies can now turn their fingertips bright orange like Cheetos, but get zapped with caffeine, B-vitamins and taurine, in new … [Read more...]