Toy advertising...

[snickers]

Following the pocket money thread, I would be interested in hearing your views on toy advertising. My shock followed a day off sick (before becoming a mum) when I had the telly on in the background during childrens telly time. I noted down thaat over £200 worth of toys and a large number of junk food commercials were shown inbetween programmes and it was JULY!

Whilst breastfeeding on a Sat morning a few months ago, I was equally appalled at the dreadful number of adverts (and up to 5 minutes worth) inbetween programs, and it occured to me that mums and dads were probably either in bed or getting their day started elsewhere and not seeing this advertising. This strikes me as very unethical indeed.

Some time ago in Sweden apprently, mums all over the country got together and petitioned the government to remove this sort of advertising directly at children and they won! The government banned it! A recent telephone poll on This Morning (or something) showed 94% of parents in favour of the same thing. So why isn't anything being done about it?

I'd agree with a ban on toy advertising. Ds seems to know quite enough about products he would like without having seen much promotion.
This is where Cbeebies is such a boon for parents of pre-schoolers. It's the only TV he sees, and is an ad-free zone. I know it's only a matter of time before that changes.
I wonder where you draw the line, though - there is so much film and TV tie-in, plus children's food and drink branded with favourite characters, that you are bombarded with images even with the TV switched off. Ds gets quite a few ideas from the occasional comic or even helping with the weekly shop.

Due to our lifestyle and daily routine (plus only having the five terrestial channels) DS watches very little live TV (proabably approx 2 BBC pograms - Bob T B or Teletubbies - a month) and he mainly watches videos (eg a single episode of Thomas)and so hasn't yet seen many adverts. I'm looking to keep it this way but as Marina said its much too wide spread for that. I'm pretty sure I'll lose the battle since he can name all the teletubbies, most of Bob's vehicles, several of the Thomas engines, Woody and Buzz and all the Pooh characters and he's not yet two.... He's started spotting them when we're out as well. He's learned most of the names from books rather than TV which I could be smug about but the end result will be the same so whats the point?

I totally agree that children should not be targeted in ad campaigns. We have cable and unfortunately a couple of the channels my kids watch have ads in between prorammes and they are ALL for toys and rubbishy 'kids' junk food. My two just sit there shouting 'I want that!, I want that!'. As someone has already said, that is what makes CBeebies so good, but unfortunately my ds (5) is now growing out of the programmes shown on there and watches elsewhere. I would quite happily join in a petition for banning them.

Snickers, I agree with you. My ds (5) watches Nick Jr and there is lots of advertising. As you say, it's usually for junk food and overpriced toys. I'd be interested in supporting any action group lobbying for a ban - do you know if there is one in the UK? I think children have a hard job sometimes accepting the difference between fact and fiction (not always a bad thing) and probably believe many adverts. I have told ds that ads are trying to sell him something and are not necessarily true but I don't like encouraging cynicism and wish I didn't have to do it. It's a shame because many of the programmes on these channels are sweet and entertaining with good moral messages - I'm thinking of Little Bill and Franklin on Nick Jr in particular but I do wish they weren't interspersed with ads for Wotsits (Walkers massive for goodness sake!) etc. Fast Food nation is interesting and frightening on the subject of advertising to children in America - some classes are sponsored by large corporations who write and produce some of the textbooks provided too. Mmm, history according to Nestle anyone?

It's not just the toys and fast food is it - anyone else feel that so many ads for credit companies on the childrens sattelite channels is giving them the message that you don't have to have the money, you can just get things you want anyway, and that debt is ok?

Gillw, not to mention ads asking 'what will happen to your family if you die?' I really don't want ds to think about that. Also, come to think of it he's been scared recently by the beyblades ad where a (cartoon) boy is dragged away by 2 baddies. Think I might complain about that one actually. I know we could get rid of Sky but he really loves some of the programmes and I don't object to any of those. Isn't there a TV you can buy that automatically turns the sound down when adverts come on and won't record them if you are taping a programme? Or did I imagine that?

You want a "personal video recorder" - like the Tivo - see here . Then you can record programmes at the same time as watching others - or even just pop out for a minute or two and carry on watching where you left off. Of course you can then always skip forwards through the adverts.

Just did a few searches and advertisers are concerned that parents are concerned by the look of it. There is lots of time and energy being devoted to making sure that advertising stays on children's TV because, the argument seems to go, otherwise children's programming will suffer because they won't have the money to pay for it. Hmmm not convinced myself. There's even a journal dedicated to marketing and advertising to children and a professor at Exeter university who advises advertisers how best to influence children through marketing! I couldn't find any info on campaigns against children's advertising though so if anyone knows of one please let me know. Right, better get some work done now.

Agree,I would love to see it banned.Can't stand all this "I want" all the time.
This must have ,consumerism,brain washing starts far too early for my liking.It's all part of the conspiracy by the powerful rich to keep the masses happy and peaceful

Wow - it seems to me that this is a strong debate. With everyone in agreement. Perhaps it's time for mumsnetters to start their own campaign (I saw that mumnsnet was voted one of the top 100 best websites recently in the Times btw...) Perhaps someone at mumsnet would have some advice... I shall send an email I think! And if I have time, I shall also do some searches. I shall let you know what I discover...

I would join a mumsnet campaign to ban advertising to children. I used to work in marketing and have some qualifications in this subject, you would be horrified to know the cynical marketing methods to manipulate us all but especially children. Clever marketers are well aware of how impressionable children are and use them to make us buy products that are not normally associated with children.
Then you get psychologists trying to tell us that the hateful drivel pumped out on television does not influence society......a bit of a contradiction!

Exactly lampchops, if advertising doesn't affect children why market to them? Why bother spending huge amounts of time and money ensuring it isn't banned? It would appear to be a waste of money no? I'm up for a campaign, definitely. It was parent pressure that persuaded the Swedish government apparently. There was an early day motion tabled in the house of commons last year against advertising to under 5's but I don't think that's enough. Haven't looked any more, snickers let me know how you get on. Also found something on the co-op site yesterday about them being supportive in banning junk food advertising to children. Snickers, let me know what you find out, will look more myself too later.