Could Advertising Be Good for Kids?

Who’d want to admit being an advertising executive in charge of selling products to kids? Once upon a time, when they basked in the glow of the golden age of British TV advertising, they had a truly enviable job. These days, however, the halo has slipped.

Parents, regulators and the government are taking advertising to task and finding it wanting. Worries that the kids' obesity epidemic in the UK is being fed by fast food ads targeting children has led to tough regulation designed to put pressure on advertisers.

Meanwhile, close attention is being paid to studies that suggest advertising has a detrimental effect on kids' development - and may result in a reduced attention span, distorted body image and increased social pressure.

Advertising Ban?

So, is it time to ban children's advertising altogether? Predictably, the advertising lobby says that would be a step too far. But while many campaigners dismiss this claim, it's worth looking at the case for the defence, if only to understand how the advertising industry's collective mind actually works.

Is Society to Blame?

Critics say that advertising to kids turns children into consumers far too early. By becoming mini-consumers kids are exposed to the stress of constantly wanting expensive new products while never being happy with the ones they have. Anyone who's seen a toddler's 'pester power' in action knows that this argument holds water, but is this the fault of advertising, or society itself? Advertising simply reflects the wider culture - and the UK is a very materialistic society. Therefore - do parents dislike advertising to children simply because it reflects wider society's addiction to consumer goods?

It's the Parent's Fault...

Campaigners often highlight studies that reveal the high exposure of kids in the UK to advertising. Children do watch an increasing number of adverts - but is this the fault of the advertisers or the parents? Advertisers may argue that the media was never designed to be a babysitter and that parents should be by a child's side to moderate the marketing messages that they receive.

Advertising is Educational

Big brands never talk about advertising to kids in their PR material - they're far more likely to talk about 'education'. Advertisers could argue that they have the right to tell children (who, after all, are their target market) about the benefits of new products. If they play by the regulatory rules, then it's only fair to let children (with the help of parents) make up their own minds.

The End of Kids' TV?

Getting rid of adverts aimed at children means that kid's media simply won't be made in the future. From websites to TV shows, most of the media relies on advertising for its funding. Take away advertisers' cash and you remove the reason the content was created in the first place.

The Future

Evidence shows that the government isn't listening to the advertising industry's arguments, as advertising to kids gets more and more regulated. With ads banished to the Internet, or being weighed down by rules about content, the industry is beginning to realise that their job is getting more difficult as far as kids are concerned. Some are even coming to terms with the fact that advertising to children may eventually become a thing of the past.