To think laundry pods shouldn’t be advertised on kids tv?!

[Sleepyandtired21]

I’m looking after some kids at the moment. We’re watching the CITV channel and an advert comes on for laundry pods. The eldest, 6, recognised the pack from my house where it’s kept up high out of reach.

“You have those pods!”
“Yes but you mustn’t touch them, you know that right?”
“No?! Why not??”

So then a big safety explanation why you must never touch liquitabs. They don’t use them in their house so she didn’t know what they were for. It’s all very well saying keep out of reach of children but the ads themselves are quite fun and fast paced so that’s all that sticks in their mind. It really worried me how many cleaning products are advertised to children when they have no idea what they are or how harmful they can be. Especially after the craze of eating the bloody things.

Then after that ad there was a flash ad and one for fairy dishwasher tabs. Just totally not needed on a kids channel! I understand advertising them on something kids might happen to be watching but these are specifically being targeted at kids.

(Just to say of course they are told not to touch/consume anything they don’t know is safe and all cleaning stuff is locked away in their house and mine)

Are those the adverts that end with a voiceover saying "Always keep away from children"?

I always do. I never had any.

They're not being advertised at kids - don't be ridiculous. No child is going to be standing in the detergent aisle in Tesco demanding that their parent buy them a box of Persil. They are being advertised to parents, who are often watching with their kids.

The washing tab ad does but the fairy and flash adverts don’t.

The thing is it’s actually teaching the children brand recognition. If you think that isn’t a powerful advertising tool then we aren’t on the same page

So stop your children watching commercial television then if you're so concerned about advertising.

So they can learn to recognise them and know they shouldn’t be touch.

They aren’t my children and I’m not around them very much so it’s kind of shocked me. Of course I’m teaching them about safety but I don’t get why they sandwich cleaning product ads in between toy adverts. Just a bit odd after all the upset about people eating them

They show them as dangerous to DC in the advertisement, although they could show a DC try one and vomit violently on the floor, the AD always ends with DM saying they're dangerous.

Surely it then leads into the perfect opportunity to discuss why the children should not mess about with these products?

A good thing imo.

Well it's advertising to the parents really (who often watch with their children) - possibly students - and I suppose it opens up a good discussion with the children about why you really shouldn’t eat them.

I don’t think it’s a problem, they don’t look like sweets and they don’t look like fun. The adverts clearly show people using them for dishwashing, washing clothes etc. I think it’s probably better that they see the advert and recognise what it is rather than seeing a dishwasher tab on the side and not knowing and then eating one. And as long as the parent keeps them away from children, I’m really not sure what the big deal is.

The flash ad has a singing dog, the fairy one has a cartoon baby on a motorbike..they’re designed to be memorable and grab attention. Definitely fun for children!

I think it's good to advertise them on kids Tele when they have the warning that they are very dangerous and not to be touched by children, parents can then reiterate that after they have finished. Better that than they don't know how dangerous they are at all.

But none of them show children using the products. Or eating them.

They show the products for what they are. So children can realise that they aren’t something they eat.

Now if parents are daft enough to leave them in the cupboard with the biscuits then that isn’t the fault of the advertisers

It’s the adult responsibility to keep toxic items away from children. Of course they’ll advertise when mothers are watching with their children.

Are kids really that interested in laundry?

Well of course they are designed to be memorable and grab attention - that's the whole point of adverts. Kids might like fun things in adverts, but that doesn't mean they are going to start caring what laundry detergent their parents use. Neither does it mean they are going to start playing with liquitabs. It is the parents' responsibility to keep chemicals out of children's reach fgs. The adverts are on kids' tv because parents will often be watching with them, obviously.

🤯

But all ads are designed to catch attention, and a lot are fun but not aimed at kids. Look at the go compare adverts, there’s a man singing a song that’s very catchy and I’m sure most children know but I doubt many of them have then went on to compare car insurance deals!.

As long as the parent is telling the child that they shouldn’t eat, play etc with the tabs and keeping them stored away from them then it is all perfectly safe. We can’t shield children from everything