Commercialism Corner

Commercialism Corner: Your one-stop shop for quick summaries and links to all the latest news about the commercialization of childhood.

Disney Makes Nightmares Come True in Hospital Maternity Wards - This Yahoo! News article covers CCFC's action urging Disney to stop branding newborns literally at birth. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110210/bs_ac/7825750_disney_makes_nightmares_come_true_in_hospital_maternity_wards

In-app Purchases in iPad, iPhone, iPod Kids' Games Touch Off Parental Firestorm - Children, often unknowingly, are buying virtual goods from iTunes that cost their parents real money, sometimes lots. The author writes that many parents and public interest groups say that the marketing of these e-goods “doesn't have any business in a children's game.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/07/AR2011020706073.html

Disney Looking Into Cradle for Customers - Disney has gained access to maternity wards in hospitals and is marketing its new line, Disney Baby, through a company called Our365, a business that sells bedside baby pictures. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/business/media/07disney.html

Sex Sells: Teaching Kids Not to Buy - As sexualization of young girls in media and marketing intensifies, Diane Levin tells Fox Business what can be done to combat the commercial assault on children. http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/02/01/teaching-teens-modesty/

How Fast Food Companies “Super Size” African Americans - This Atlanta Post article examines “Race-based obesity” in America, calling attention to marketers history of marketing unhealthy food to minority communities. http://atlantapost.com/2011/01/31/how-fast-food-companies-%E2%80%9Csuper-size%E2%80%9D-african-americans/

Study Begins to Unlock the Development of Child Taste Preferences - New study suggests that “children with detailed mental representations of fast food and soda brands – as developed by advertising and experience – have higher scores on an ‘added flavour’ sugar/fat/salt (SFS) liking palate.” http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Study-begins-to-unlock-the-development-of-child-taste-preferences/ Read more!

Why it's already illegal to market Happy Meals to kids

When it comes to food, everybody's got an opinion. Same goes for parenting. Mix the two together and you've got the makings of a culture war. Witness the recent scuffle between Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama over the White House's rather tame Let's Move campaign aimed at ending childhood obesity.

So last month, when the Center for Science in the Public Interest announced it was filing a class action lawsuit to stop McDonald's from using Happy Meal toys to market to children, the fierce and ugly backlash against the mother of two who was brave enough to attach her name to the case was predictable.

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Commercialism Corner

Commercialism Corner: Your one-stop shop for quick summaries and links to all the latest news about the commercialization of childhood.

Bribes: How Food Corporations Keep Opponents Quiet – Marion Nestle exposes how corporations buy advocacy groups’ silence.  This time Save the Children stopped advocating in favor of soda taxes after accepting millions from Pepsi and seeking more from Coke. http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/12/bribes-how-food-corporations-keep-opponents-quiet/68210/

How Toy Crazes Are Born - This Wall Street Journal article explains how marketers exploit kids' natural developmental tendencies to whip up collectible toy frenzies. http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/news/2010/12/howtoycrazes.html


Mint.com Hits The Books; Offers Personal Finance Curriculum To Students – Scholastic’s newest in-school advertising partner, Mint.com, is “a free, online program designed to educate middle-school students about personal finance and financial management.”  At http://www.scholastic.com/mint/ teachers can print lesson plans around sponsored videos like “Quest for Credit” and schoolchildren can play games like “Quest for Money.” http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/20/mint-com-hits-the-books-offers-personal-finance-curriculum-to-students/

Coca-Cola Infiltrates Teen Social Network WeeWorld – Coke takes over the social network for teens with a Coke Party Room, Coke video game, Coke virtual products and integrated billboards.  The site is supposedly for teens 13+, but the advertising for Build-a-Bear suggests a younger target audience. http://mashable.com/2010/12/17/coca-cola-infiltrates-teen-social-network-weeworld/

Not So Happy Meals – This New York Times editorial expresses support for efforts to curb fast food marketing to children. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/20/opinion/20mon4.html Read more!

Commercialism Corner

Commercialism Corner: Your one-stop shop for quick summaries and links to all the latest news about the commercialization of childhood.

Has Scholastic Books Outstayed Its Welcome in American Schools? As CCFC launches a new way for parents, teachers and advocates to voice concern over Scholastic's commercialization of classrooms, this author says it's about time schools ditch the company altogether. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20101214/bs_ac/7404678_has_scholastic_books_outstayed_its_welcome_in_american_schools 

Los Angeles Schools Seek Sponsors - Josh Golin tells the New York Times why the Los Angeles decision to allow advertising on school campuses is a mistake. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/education/16naming.html

Class Action Lawsuit Targets McDonald's Use of Toys to Market to Children – A concerned mother and Center for Science in the Public Interest sue McDonald’s for unfairly using toys to market unhealthy food to children. http://cspinet.org/new/201012151.html

Sexualized Teen Girls: Tinsel Town's New Target – The Parents Television Council released a new report finding the hypersexualization of teen girls in popular broadcast TV shows among 12-17 year olds. http://www.parentstv.org/FemaleSexualization/Study.htm

Cartoon Network and Kids Foot Locker Team Up – The kids’ network will host its first Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards, sponsored by Kids Foot Locker, in which the sneaker company will sponsor a voting category and a “Kids Foot Locker micros site,” (www.hallofgame.com/sneakers) which will advertise its sneakers and offer kids discount coupons.  Pepperidge Farm and Sports Illustrated Kids will also sponsor the awards show. http://www.cynopsis.com/editions/kids/121610/
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Commercialism Corner

Commercialism Corner: Your one-stop shop for quick summaries and links to all the latest news about the commercialization of childhood.

A Whole New Name Game – Naming rights are up for sale at public parks, schools and government buildings across the country, as advocacy groups try to combat the idea that corporate marketers are the answer to every budget gap.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703350104575652763782808830.html?mod=WSJ_business_LeftSecondHighlights

How About Reassessing First Amendment “Right” to Market Junk Foods? Food guru Marion Nestle discusses the First Amendment, commercial speech, and ending junk food marketing. http://www.foodpolitics.com/2010/12/how-about-reassessing-first-amendment-right-to-market-junk-foods/


Study: School Vending Machines Undermine Student Nutrition – A new study finds that school vending machines contribute to bad eating and poor nutrition among school children. It also finds that vending machines in 83% of schools sold foods with minimal nutritional value. http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2010-12-02-school-vending-machines_N.htm

Canadian Dietitians Want Better Controls on Food Advertising to Kids – A leading group of Canadian dietitians has issued a position statement requesting better government controls over the advertising of food and beverages to kids. http://www.marketingmag.ca/english/news/marketer/article.jsp?content=20101207_093840_7184

David Cameron Orders Review into Sexualised Products for Children – The UK Prime Minister has launched an independent investigation into the sexualisation of childhood, and whether regulations should be imposed on retailers and broadcasters preventing them from marketing sexualized products to children. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/dec/06/david-cameron-review-sexualised-products-children

Junk-food Giant Targeting Kids – (Australia) Fast-food outlets directing mailing coupons to children under 12 are catching heat from Australian public health organizations, which are rallying the federal government to ban the exploitive marketing practice. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/junk-food-giant-targeting-kids/story-e6frezz0-1225965696378 Read more!