Advertising for kids

I girl got my attention as I walked to the train the other day. She asked me what I thought about McDonald’s advertising to kids. I didn’t have time to take her up on the subject, as I needed to catch my train. Plus, I’d never really thought about it.

I’ve thought about it now.

We do not see much TV, so I don’t know if McDonald’s advertising has recently ramped up to warrant this street campaign, but otherwise they’ve been advertising to kids for years. One of the original Ronald McDonald was in a homemade costume by Willard Scott, who later went on to found The Today Show. That was a pretty creepy costume made out of popcorn bags and soda cups. I’d say that the advertising I saw from McDonald's as a kid gave me fewer nightmares that that costume did when I saw it as an adult.

I would also prefer that advertising to the stuff put out by cereal and cookie companies that are aimed at kids. That stuff is what I imagine when I picture an acid trip. Cookies melting to form chocolate rivers as cereal erupts from fissures in the ground. It’s either a tasty treat or the end of the world. Those commercials would do Salvidor Dali proud.

Now, let’s say that we all say enough is enough. These commercials encourage far too much of a consumer mentality in little kids, who lack the income to sustain such appetites, and it strains parent child relationships because the kids develop needs for things they don’t. We ban advertising geared toward children. This leaves a lot of open advertising space that needs to be filled. And it gets filled with adult advertising.

One thing I will say about advertising to kids, it is largely void of excessive sexuality. The same cannot be said of adult advertising. A lot of such commercials seem to try to make up for the lack of it in kids advertising. If I had to choose between my son watching a commercial with a clown dancing with a cookie, and people enjoying the way viagra makes themselves feel, I’ll opt for the former. Especially once he gets old enough to ask me to explain what the commercials mean.

So, I guess I don’t have a problem with McDonald’s advertising to kids.