Children's Advertising

Today, most commercials are aimed at younger children and often involve showing kids what they should look like instead of what they want to look like. Toys, cereal, and fast food restaurants each have their own techniques to persuade children into wanting their products. Different types of commercials usually sell products that show children what they "have to have" and not what they need. I think childrens commercials today make kids think they need to grow up quicker than they should.

All childrens commercials including cereal, fast foods, and toys always grab children's attention, whether if its from buying a Happy Meal to receive a toy to buying the cereal with colored marshmallows. Some commercials even focus on young girls, showing them how to dress up dolls and put make up on their faces. In my opinion, children's commercials not only affect parents but also affect the way children look at themselves.

When children see a commercial, they usually notice a popular cartoon character that catches their eye. Other commercials sometimes show the "cool kid persona" kids act and look while advertising their products. Public Relations firms put out these commercials that make children believe they have to have a particular product. I also think these put parents through undue stress from their kids nagging them to no end about buying a certain toy or wanting to eat at a certain restaurant.

One specific commercial begins with two young girls who seemed to be between the ages of ten to twelve. They both are holding a toy doll and having the greatest time putting makeup and clothing on. The clothing these dolls were wearing looked somewhat like a teenager would wear in today's society. As one of the girls were applying the makeup to the doll, the other yelled excited,"Look at me" as she had makeup on her face. I know little girls like to play around wearing makeup and their mom's clothes, but seeing the girls with all this makeup on shocked me. When I think of makeup, I picture teenagers or older women wearing it.

Unlike the first commercial I have mentioned; another certain advertisement had a similar technique to persuade the kid to want their product. During this commercial it involved a kid eating a happy meal. Now don't get me wrong, I used to love "Happy Meals." But all of sudden,