The advert on the left is from the 1960's and is for the multi-generational children's favourite that is Lego. Many children (including myself) have grown up with Lego and it seems to be a product that has stood the test of time. In 2008 Lego posted a 51% rise in UK sales (http://www.guardian.co.uk/, 2009). But would Lego have had anywhere near the success it has had without the help of the many adverts aimed at children that it has used to it's advantage over the years? Chances are that Lego would have been replaced in the popularity stakes by some unruly upstart like Meccano. I for one remember vividly seeing adverts for the latest Lego set on the television (many moons ago) and almost forcing my mum to the nearest toy shop to get it before anyone else. Had she not have been so generous, I probably would have stole her purse and gone down there by myself, such was my appetite for all things Lego. And as far as I'm concerned, that's all down to the way it was marketed.
According to the "kids grow older younger" video we watched in class, children have a say in around £30 billion worth of spending per year...so can anybody blame marketers for wanting to take advantage of them? I can quite honestly say that if you gave me even 1% of that £30 billion I would not lose any sleep at night over marketing to kids being immoral. The video explained that between the ages of 2 and 4 years old advertising first starts to have an effect on children. If marketers can hook children in between these ages then the chances of them being a long term source of sales is far greater. Interestingly, Stephen Colegrave of Saatchi & Saatchi advised that children are also kept in mind when advertising products for adults. This basically boils down to the fact that advertising is far more effective on children that it is on adults. So called "Pester power" then plays a part because eventually, most adults will give in ( like my dear old mum did with the lego). "Pester power" tactics is not just the child whining until they get their own way. There are many ways a child can force their parents into buying them what they want, including putting their pocket money towards the cost, doing household chores as payment and asking for the product as an early christmas present.
Another factor that marketers need to consider is that parents who are protective of their children (as most are) will be susceptible to the right type of marketing that uses potential threats to their children to it's advantage.
The above advert for Dettox would appeal to protective or "regressive" mothers. It shows all the bacteria on a high chair being cleaned away by their product and therefore, most mothers would feel a need for the product in order to keep their baby safe from harmful bacteria. If an advert for a product shows children in a good light (clever, funny, independent) then the product will appeal more to their parents as all parents want the best for their children and are eager for their children to be all those things and more. When watching the advert, subconsciously the parent will be thinking "I want my child to be like that" and therefore, the chances of them buying it are greatly increased.
Brands play a huge part in children's school life. When growing up it's always about what trainers you have, who makes your school bag and what games console you have. For example; when I was a boy (I'm so old!) I was always striving for the latest pair of Nike trainers. My very first pair of trainers was some old school Nike Air Pegasus...and I loved them with all my heart. Now, the main reason it mattered so much to me what I had on my feet was not because they were the most comfortable, most expensive or even the nicest looking. The main reason it mattered was to impress my mates in the playground.
"If all the people are bald, I think after 3 months I would be bald also" (Monica, 2009)
Now, whilst the thought of a nation of slapheads running around is quite amusing, Monica's comment is spot on and supports my view that as much as everybody wants to be an individual, most people follow the crowd and are more interested in keeping up with current trends than retaining their individuality. Some may call this shallow...but what adults don't realise is that the playground is a very fickle place. Turn up in some Hi-Teks and you're a lamb to the slaughter...
A brand is a "stamp of authenticity in the playground" ( Stephen Colegrave, Marketing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi)
The above statement could not be closer to the truth in my opinion. Having my Nikes on my feet made me feel like the king of the playground. Everybody wanted them, but I had them And thus all my friends were jealous, which made my school life so much easier.
Another of the multitude of factors that marketers need to consider when marketing to children is the fact that children are getting older a lot younger these days. You can see it in everyday life...young girls walking round wearing make up, boys shunning playing football in the streets to play the latest Grand Theft Auto game on their Playstation 3. Getting older younger (according to the video) is a lot more prominent in the UK than anywhere else...children in the UK are more media-savvy, they watch more adult programmes (soaps like Eastenders and Coronation Street in particular) and they actually prefer adult adverts.
The above advert for Budweiser was a huge success from it's launch in 1999 to the last time it was aired in 2002. Despite the product being exclusively available to adults (UK law dictated at the time that nobody under the age of 18 could buy alcohol), the advert appealed largely to children thanks to it's much-used catchphrase. The catchphrase was heard in playgrounds across the country, and thus Budweiser's brand recognition grew further. The children in school when this advert was aired may well be regular Budweiser drinkers today (I know I am) and that is thanks in part to the success of this advert.
However, the real issue is that advertising to children is a moral dilemma for the marketing world. Whilst it is a multi billion pound industry, many people argue that it is exploitative and immoral. I've already shared my views, but ultimately it is down to the individual and their company to decide how much emphasis they place on morals, and how much they place on making money.
