A D V E R T I S I N G CREATING CONSUMERIST IMAGINATIONS OF WHAT LIFE IS REALLY ABOUT

ADVERTISING AND CHILDREN Television advertising sets out to deliberately bring about personal change in viewers. Children and young adults encounter advertising in many forms – TV, radio, billboards, magazines and newspapers. Advertising affects children in different ways and how they react will depend on several things.

The following offers a general idea of how a child might react depending on their age:

IN THE CLASSROOM… When discussing and researching advertising in the classroom, it is important to ask your students these two questions as it will get them thinking: * What is being advertised? Help the students to identify the product information in the ad. * What strategies are being used to sell the product? Help the students to figure out how the ad makes the product more attractive? This makes the point that you can’t believe everything you see on TV. It also helps to students to develop a questioning attitude towards advertisers’ claims.

HAS IT ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY? PROPAGANDA Is information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view. It uses words and word substitutes in trying to reach a goal— pictures, drawings, graphs, exhibits, parades, songs, and other Propaganda has been evident since the 1600’s. People with ideas will always want to persuade others about them and, if they have the power, they will pull every string they have to persuade everyone.

MOVING ON…. After propaganda came mass media and since then, companies have naturally used this means of communications to let a large number of people know about their products. This has allowed innovative ideas and concepts to be shared with others. However, as the years have progressed, the sophistication of advertising methods and techniques has advanced, enticing and shaping and even creating consumerism and needs where there has been none before, or turning luxuries into necessities.

TELEVISION ADVERTISING The appeal to the imagination is a central part of television advertising. Images that are attractive to self-expression and self-understanding can be embedded in the imagination where they can affect people, with retail consequences. It is not an appeal to information or reason, but to the inherent attractiveness and desirability of the images. There is often a good measure of humour in advertisements and they may try to flatter people's intelligence, but this does not eliminate their play on the unconscious. In the commercial, within thirty seconds, there is an attempt to activate, and appeal to, images and emotions, desires and values that will be effective in prompting viewers to buy.

AN EXAMPLE…. qQYVamw23yUBUkWJzpt3BUOXXQ&index=1

MAJOR ISSUES In media and advertising, maniputlation and imagery, fake news and more are so prevalent that young people in particular are vulnerable to a lot of influences from all angles. With such constant bombardment of images of what beauty, perfection and health are all supposed to be, it is no wonder that many related health issues are increasing in younger children, from anxiety and stress to bulimia and anorexia.

Another negative consequence of child- and youth-targeted marketing is obesity which is increasing rapidly. Obesity has been linked to the consumption of energy-dense, micronutrient-poor products that are high in fat, sugar, salt and which are marketed directly to children. Marketing messages may introduce children to inappropriate content like violence, sexualization and unrealistic body images.

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND BUSINESS PRINCIPLES Developed by UNICEF, the UN Global Compact and Save the Children – the Children’s Rights and Business Principles (the Principles) are the first comprehensive set of principles to guide companies on the full range of actions they can take in the workplace, marketplace and community to respect and support children’s rights. Principle 6 is the addresses marketing and advertising.

PRINCIPLE 6 - ALL BUSINESS SHOULD…… USE MARKETING AND ADVERTISING THAT RESPECT AND SUPPORT CHILDREN’S RIGHTS “We need to foster healthy, realistic self-images. Adults and adolescents must work together to highlight the existing beauty in girls as well as to celebrate other virtues that go beyond body image – such as honesty, intelligence, integrity and generosity” A 16-year-old girl from Jordan, living in the United States. State of the World’s Children 2011 The corporate responsibility to respect includes: a.Ensuring that communications and marketing do not have an adverse impact on children’s rights b.Complying with the standards of business conduct in World Health Assembly instruments related to marketing health The corporate commitment to support includes: c. Using marketing that raises awareness of and promotes children’s rights, positive self-esteem, healthy lifestyles and non-violent values

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