I’m not a fan of fast food and junk food companies.
They’re anything but green with their reliance on plastic and polystyrene and single-use disposable packaging.
And they’re not promoting the healthiest of foods, to put it mildly.
They do have their place – they certainly offer convenience, and as an occasional snack they’re probably not too harmful to health.
But the high consumption rate is a testament to the success of their advertising.
I am a fan of TED talks though.
So I was interested to watch this TED video which talks about the marketing tactics of the larger companies such as Coke and McDonalds for example. Of course they’re going to market – they’re in business to sell more.
But their marketing to kids does seem a little insidious.
I was surprised to learn from this video:
- Just how much advertising kids are exposed to
- Why switching off the TV doesn’t help
- Which school supplies are sponsored by large companies
- Why people in their 20s are needing dentures
- Just how much information large corporations collect on young people (that scared me!)
What we decide to do with this information is of course up to each individual. But I think awareness is key.
Here’s the video:
If you enjoyed this article, please Share, Like, Pin or Tweet it (buttons below) – thank you!
The whole idea of this kind of marketing is seriously obscene. Advertisers should be made to follow a sort of film type age restriction – only allow certain ads after say 9pm and if schools do allow sponsorship of supplies then only to certain age levels. I wonder if the kids of the marketing people go to schools that allow sponsorship in this way.
I really like your idea of an age restriction, that’s very clever! I don’t know how it could be made to work but it’s a great concept. I was certainly pretty horrified by just how much advertising kids are exposed to. The “sponsorship” of schools is really horrible. I know schools always need money, but ugh…
[…] The Video that Coke doesn’t want you to see […]