Have fun with children !!
Children are also used in advertising because in many situations children could be funny!
This is an example with some ads….
http://www.dailymotion.com/cluster/ads/featured/video/x1uj3_faitesdesgossesquidisaient1_ads
In this ad, a mother seems admirative by seeing her young girl who is washing the dish.
But suddenly she changes her face because the girl is washing her laptop…
http://www.dailymotion.com/cluster/ads/featured/video/x1m2k_ma-maman-ele-a-di_ads
We can see a little boy who makes many things like an adult : indeed, he makes a lot of silly thinks and he conducts a car, he pilotes a plane….in each case, he said that his mum knows and is ok…At the end, we understand that she doesn’t mind him because she has other occupations…..
http://www.dailymotion.com/cluster/ads/featured/video/x1ini_funhandy_fun
A pretty young girl is taking a shower and her mobil phone doesn’t stop to ring. She has to stop her shower and to walk naked in her bathroom severals times.
But it is not innocent, tree boys are calling her on her phone in order to see her body naked…
http://www.dailymotion.com/cluster/ads/featured/video/xwcc_maurice
The famous french ad for the Chocomousse of Nestlé with the red fish….irresisitible!!
Using children to shock
Marketers are used to making ads so as consumers keep it in mind, not only food is promoted by children but also some social issues in order to shock people. Indeeed, advertisers’ goal is to show that not only adults are concerned by these events and children will have to face problems such as racism, illness, environment and pollution, few years later.
Moreover, to broadcast a message thanks to children is more efficient because everybody is hurt by children innocence and vulnerability. It has more impact next to people.That is why advertisers use children for very important and serious subjects like Cancer, AIDS, Racism….
http://www.dailymotion.com/cluster/ads/featured/video/x17l0_abdel
in a motherhood, only one baby is handcuffed, his name is Abdel… Here, racism is criticized since each name represent a community ; Abdel is referred to the algerian community.
http://www.dailymotion.com/cluster/ads/featured/video/xs6p_gesto-de-amor_family
an emotional moment of solidarity in a family in which a son is affected by a cancer
http://www.dailymotion.com/cluster/ads/featured/video/xwdo_uma-casa-alegre-com-filhos_blog
in a poor country, children are not allowed to play with whatever they want, here, this ad underlines the prevention of the environment. By picking up all the bags that he has found, the boy can make a ball and play with it.
Junk food Prevention campaigns for children
Important prevention campaigns targeting children had been lauched since October 2007.
The most imporant deals with obesity problems since more and more people are suffering of this disease. Children are more concerned and vulnerable as they have to be active, with good food habits very early. France 3, a national TV channel had launched this campaign with different cartoons, which are mainly diffused on the morning, during children programs.
In the official Web site, mangerbouger.fr, you can find a video about the necessity to walk 30 minutes at least per day in order to have a physique activity.
http://www.mangerbouger.fr/campagnes/reperes/activite/activite.php#p2
There are other advertising like the promotion to eat fruits and vegetables ( 10 per day at least) and the risks to eat too salty or too much sweet food.
Babies models
When advertisers are waiting for a child in order to create an ad, they need help from models agencies, specialised in children hiring. Indeed, these profesionals will make many castings and they will choose the child who correspond the best to the advertisers’need. The criteria are different from those for adults : it is not the research of a perfect body but a smiling and photogenic face. The baby has to be confortable with the camera, and he has to be kind and patient because the sessions could be long. But the most important is to be spontaneous and natural as much as posible
These castings could be interesting for the child since they permit to learn competition, self control in an amusing atmosphere…However this system could be dangerous for the child for several reasons.
First, the agreement of the child is necessary ; indeed, some parents could be tempted to force their child to go to a casting in order to earn money or to make him popular; that is why model agencies’ employees are very vigilant to this fact. Moreover, the baby models are very well paid, more than adult which is risky as they can’t spend their money until their majority (Everybody remember Jordy’s story…)
Secondly, this experience could be negative for children who can become pretencious since they are famous. A child is not able to understand his popularity and he could suffer when he will be older.
Does children advertising should be banned?
In Sweden and in some other european countries, advetise for children is forbidden. Indeed, according to a survey, european children are watching TV about two hours per day on overage ; the problem is their real vulnerability, because they are artless and can’t have a critical analyse of advertising. Nowadays, children behaviour has changed because they choose some products, they prefer wearing famous brands and they are aware to fashion trends.
Moreover, there is a danger of obesity which threat people who watch many food ad per day and particularly children. Indeed, they watch many ads between their favourite programs and they are tempted to snack whereas they should be more active by doing sport, music or other cultural activities. Furthermore, they are very passive in front of their TV and they don’t developp their own point of view ; children are identifying themselves to what they see and they blindness follow advertisers advices. That is why targeting children is a real danger in our society.
We can ask if the ban of children advertising, like in Sweden for example, is necessary ? Indeed, there would have a scandal with advertisers who are basing their business on children. May be, it should be better to creat laws to supervise this ad’s system.
The ads for parents
This ad is a perfect example of using children in order to influence parents in their choice.
This boy and his sister are disguised in powerfull heroes who are playing with their parents’car as if it was a toy. They can change the car aspects according to seasons that’s why it seems to be a magic car like in cartoons!
Advertisers have 2 objectives in this case : associate the ludic idea to this moving car which can distract young people like adults. The other is to prove the importance of choosing a car because it is often a family decision. Indeed children’s opinion is important and they have a real impact on parent’s purchases.
Furthermore, children are future consumers and for advertisers it is not to early to build a good image in their minds…
Children in advertising
Many ads are using children in order to promote their products.
These marketing techniques are not harmless; indeed children have a real power next to parents, their opinion is really important, that is why attract children should be a success factor. Marketing agencies have well understand this principle and don’t hesitate to put in scene children.
We can identify 2 two kinds of strategy :
Some ads are using children to target themselves (games, cereals, sweets adds for example) while the others target parents thanks to their child opinion (cars, holidays destinations, shampoos etc…)
The adds for children
Personal comments :
I have chosen this commercial of Kandoo which promote a range of products like perfumed toilet paper and soap, intented to children who are learning to “be clean”. In this add, we can see many children which are dancing with a friendly green frog, the kandoo’s mascot.
It is very interesting to my mind because this add target directly children who will identify themselves. Moreover, there is a very dynamic music which explain how to be ” older “, with a simple choregraphy. This marketing campaign is complete because at the end, you know that a CD of this music is offered with the product….A REAL BUSINESS!!!!!
Another example : Petit Bateau marketing campaign
2 targets : children…..
and parents!!
