Ok. Two things here. First off, I agree that making junk food “forbidden fruit” will only serve to increase the coolness caché in terms of marketing strategy, and second, the media spin on the new FTC findings on kids’ exposure to food advertising really just reveals a methodology glitch in age breakdowns. Let's just segue to advergames if you don't see … [Read more...]
Instead of turning kids’ tongues green with dye, additives and processed Shrek Drek (sanctioned as a green dot “Smart Choice” by PepsiCo’s self-awarded labeling system since they’re BAKED Cheetos instead of Flaming Hot extra toxic ones) imagine if we used Shrek to shift the appeal toward healthier food? What a fairytale, eh? Shaping Youth is testing some of these … [Read more...]
Pop Tarts. Pop Rocks. Strawberry Quick. Targeting kids is working so well for the junk food giants, the creeps-n-criminals are stealing the sugary-flavored branding strategy to recruit new customers and increase market share. Not here to ramp up hysteria…the entire concept of marketing drugs to children will do that alone. But we need to discuss this, put it in context, and … [Read more...]
Recently, I brought my tween daughter to meet Anastasia Goodstein, (at left) publisher of youth blog YPulse and author of the Totally Wired book and blog. Since we’re both Bay-area based, I thought I’d seize the local opportunity to hear what she had to say at one of her book talks on the press circuit. I ended up bumping into some parents I already knew, … [Read more...]
Advertising’s ubiquitous presence CAN be amusing sometimes. You’ve gotta admit, this use presenting "teeth as bowling pins" for a European dental insurance company did a creative job of media immersion via bowling alley. (not sure that’s the right target market, but that’s another story) Aside from the rather violent concept of kids knocking out … [Read more...]
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