In today’s world an advertisement focuses on a specific demographic and gender — kids, boys, girls, adolescents, tweens, young adults, seniors, and more. This post, How Advertisers Target Kids, at the Media Awareness Network, a Canadian organization, provides much more background information. This PBS site, Don’t Buy It, Get Media Smart, explains how companies make advertisements, and then goes on to help children deconstruct (take apart and examine) them, and the images on this site are excellent.
Advertisers seek to combine images and music or sound with at least one or more strategies below, aiming to attract people, connect them to a product, and then encourage a purchase.
Advertising Strategies that are Used to Target Children
- Using ideal or perfect kids
- Pulling heartstrings
- Portraying a lifelike setting that draws a child into the situation
- Telling a really good story
- Featuring celebrities or star power
- Showing perfect family fun
- Creating excitement and great desire
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