Toy advertising: Difference between revisions

'''Toy advertising''' is the [[advertising|promotion]] of [[toys]] through a variety of media. [[Advertising campaign]]s for toys have been criticisedcriticized for trading on children's [[naivete]] and for turning children into premature [[consumer]]s. [[Advertising to children]] is usually regulated to ensure that it meets defined standards of honesty and decency. These rules vary from country to country, with some going as far as banning all advertisements that are directed at children.

Toy advertisements are aimed at three target audiences: children, adults (especially close relatives such as parents or grandparents), and toy retailers. Different messages and media strategies are used for each target group. To gain the attention of children, advertising messages might focus on products with brightly colouredcolored, fast-moving designs, or associations with heroic characters from film, TV, or books. Packaging can enhance the attractiveness of a toy. When advertising toys to adults, the educational benefits to the child are often promoted. When promoting toys to retailers, the ability of a product range to generate store traffic and profits is likely to be mentioned.

Children up to the age of five can find it difficult to distinguish between the main program and [[commercial break]]s. This holds particularly true when a toy range is linked to a [[television series]] they are watching. Many children do not understand the intentions of [[marketing]] and [[commercials]] until the age of eight.<ref>Patti M. Valkenburg & Joanne Cantor. "The Development of a Child into a Consumer. ''Journal of Marriage and Family'' Vol. 63, 2001, pp 655–668.</ref> [[Media literacy]] programmesprograms such as Media Smart are being used to help children understand and think critically about advertising.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediasmartworld.com/ |title=Home |website=mediasmartworld.com}}</ref>

Children are not easily persuaded to want something. Advertising is only part of the picture. Children's interests in a particular toy are likely to arise from word of mouth and peer pressure. Two-year-olds spend about 10% of their time with other children. This rises to 40% between ages 7 toand 11.<ref>K. A. Updegraff, et al. (2001). Parents' involvement in adolescents' peer relationships: A comparison of mothers' and fathers' roles. ''Journal of Marriage and Family 63'', 655–668.</ref> The term "pester power" refers to children nagging their parents to buy a product. Some children will repeatedly ask them to buy a toy they want, and such insistence often leads to a purchase. There is regulationa regulation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2005:149:0022:0039:EN:PDF|title=Directive {{Bare2005/29/EC URLof inlinethe European Parliament and of the Council|date=August11 May 2005|publisher=Official Journal of the European 2022Union}}</ref> in place that bans advertisements from directly exhorting children to buy advertised products or persuade their parents to buy the products.

Many toys are directed towards one specific sex, and advertising is tailored to meet their particular needs. There are biological as well as social and cultural reasons for boys' and girls' different toy preferences.<ref>Gerianne M. Alexander, Teresa Wilcox, & Rebecca Woods. (2009). Sex differences in infants’ visual interest in toys. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38, 427–433.</ref>

Like other consumer products, toys may also be offered as sets. While each one may be affordable, it may be an investment to "collect them all.".

The natural credulity of young children means that advertising to children is almost always a sensitive issue. The average child is exposed to approximately 40,000 commercials a year.<ref name="Donald L. Shifrin 2006">Donald L. Shifrin, M. C. (2006, Dec). Children, Adolescents, and Advertising. American Academy of Periatrics Pediatrics, 2563-2569.</ref> These messages are channelledchanneled through television, the internet, billboard campaigns, and print media. Toy marketers are also known for their more direct approaches, targeting schools.<ref name="Donald L. Shifrin 2006"/> Doing so by producing toys that are advertised with ‘educationaleducational benefits’benefits throughout primary school cataloguescatalogs and news letters. A study on child advertising duringconducted Decin December 2007 examined the relationship between television commercials and children's requests to Father Christmas. Throughout the findings, there was a significant correlation between the items requested and the commercials viewed. Proportionally there was, a greater number of brands were requested when associated with higher television viewing timetimes.<ref>Pine, K. J., Wilson, P. B., & Nash, A. S. (2007, December ). The Relationship Between Television Advertising, Children's Viewing and Their Requests to Father Christmas. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 28, 456.</ref> These findings reflect the impact marketers have on children. Through the use of advertising, brands are shaping the opinions and beliefs of young children every day, thus generating an unrelenting appetite for branded merchandise. The intentions of toy manufacturesmanufacturers are to influence children while they are young to gain brand loyalty, generating consumers offor the future. Marketing strategies towards childfor advertising to children are paid high attention to as the market adds approximately 21 billion dollars to the United States economy each year.<ref>Statista. (2015). Statistics and Facts on the Toy Industry. Retrieved from Statista: http://www.statista.com/topics/1108/toy-industry/</ref> This is possible due to the influential amount of purchasing power children have when pressuring their parents, through what marketers refer to as ‘pester"pester power".’<ref>McDermott, L., O'Sullivan, T., Stead, M., & Hastings, G. (2006). International food advertising, pester power and its effects. International Journal of Advertising, 513-539.</ref>

Persuasive commercials achieve such proportionate amounts of revenue, as children under the age of 12 have less cognitive ability to recognize the purpose of the advertisement.<ref>Rozendaal, E., Opree, S. J., & Buijzen, M. (2016, Jan). Development and Validation of a Survey Instrument to Measure Children's Advertising Literacy. Media Psychology, 72-100.</ref> Brands sell a lifestyle, presenting to children the idea of happiness. Children at a vulnerable age believe that the lifestyle being sold to them is the truth,<ref>Lanka, S. (2011, July 7). Ethics in marketing and advertising to children. Colombo.</ref> and by obtaining the products viewed, they will mirror these impressions. The mindset that purchase equals an acquired identity can be dangerous. It can present low self-esteem amongst youth because their reality is compromised by materialism. The journalJournal of Social and Clinical Psychology conducts a model proving the relationship between materialistic values, compulsive buying tendencies, self-discrepancies, and low self-esteem acts in a spiraling effect.<ref>Dittmar, H., "A NEW LOOK AT "COMPULSIVE BUYING": SELF-DISCREPANCIES AND MATERIALISTIC VALUES AS PREDICTORS OF COMPULSIVE BUYING TENDENCY, ''Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology,'' Vol. 24, 2005, pp 832-859.</ref> This is due to the fundamentals of human nature, which involve an endless amount of wants which contrast against a disappointing reality. An example of this is Barbie, who is globally advertised as a best friend for young womanwomen. In commercials, Barbie comes to life, portraying personality. Marketers use idealistic settings to falsely advertise the lifestyle that comes with Barbie;, either on the beach or in a night clubnightclub. Settings are designed to convince children of this idealistic reality and an experience that they too can share with her. Yet, in reality, Barbie's potential relies on a child's imagination. The setting is not included. Mainly, she has no relatable characteristics for children to look up to, establishing the argument of social pressures and self-esteem. For toy companies, however, this is parallel to revenue.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}

Many companies selling toys also target children based on their gender. This is done in a variety of ways, such as how toysby exclusively showcasedshowcasing toys in separate aisles depending on the intended gender or placing images of boys or girls on a certain product.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Fine|first1=Cordelia|last2=Rush|first2=Emma|date=2016-02-24|title="Why Does all the Girls have to Buy Pink Stuff?" The Ethics and Science of the Gendered Toy Marketing Debate|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3080-3|journal=Journal of Business Ethics|volume=149|issue=4|pages=769–784|doi=10.1007/s10551-016-3080-3|s2cid=147209519|issn=0167-4544}}</ref> Children begin to develop stereotypical, gender -based knowledge during preschool, and by the age of seven, they have strong, established views on toy gender.<ref name=":1">Perry, L. C., & Sung, H.-y. A. (1993). Developmental Differences in Young Children's Sex-Typing: Automatic versus Reflective Processing. 18.</ref> Research found that when children aged seven to eleven were asked to choose a toy, most selected traditional genderedgender-based occupational toys, reflecting role play. Furthermore, studies have shown that children (boys and girls) between the ages of 3–113 yearsand old11 held negative evaluations of boys violating gender roles involving physical appearance, with the concept of boys wearing girls’ clothing wasbeing equated as being almost as bad as the concept of theft.<ref name=":0">Blakemore, J. E. O. (2003). Children's Beliefs About Violating Gender Norms: Boys Shouldn't Look Like Girls, and Girls Shouldn't Act Like Boys. ''Sex Roles, 48''(9), 411-419.</ref> Overall, many similar gender norm violations ofby boys are also considered more negative than when girls violatedviolate norms, such as wearing clothes intended for boys or having short hair.<ref name=":0" />

Many toys help produce and reinforce beauty standards, particularly through toys such as dolls and beauty products targeted towardsat girls and young women. [[Eurocentrism|Eurocentric]] beauty standards dominate representation in popular media and toy marketing in many places around the world.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal|last=Whitney|first=Jennifer Dawn|date=2013|title=Beauty Made Plastic: Constructions of a Western Feminine Ideal|url=http://jlsl.upg-ploiesti.ro/documente/Arhiva_nou/2013_2/08_Whitney.pdf|journal=Word and Text: A Journal of Literary Studies and Linguistics|volume=III|number=2|pages=119–132}}</ref> Common features emphasized in these images are of white people or characters with fair or tanned skin, tall and slender bodies, thin waists, and long blonde hair.<ref name=":02" /> Such features are widely associated with beauty, simultaneously creating associations ofbetween darker skin withand unattractiveness, and, in the process, creating and reinforcing existing racial hierarchies within beauty ideals.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Marway|first=Herjeet|date=2017|title=Should We Genetically Selevt for the Beauty Norm of Fair Skin?|journal=Health Care Analysis|volume=26|issue=3|pages=246–268|doi=10.1007/s10728-017-0341-y|pmid=28324196|pmc=6061025}}</ref> The impacts of Eurocentric representation and beauty ideals also go even further than children's toys. Research has shown that Blackblack influencers on social media platforms typically receive lower salaries and experience greater difficulty arranging or receiving sponsorships and brand deals, as well as widely facefacing slower rises to popularity on social media compared to Whitewhite influencers,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Tran|first1=Alison|last2=Rosales|first2=Robert|last3=Copes|first3=Lynn|date=2020|title=Paint a Better Mood? Effects of Makeup Use on YouTube Beauty Influencers' Self-Esteem|journal=SAGE Open|volume=10|issue=2|doi=10.1177/2158244020933591|s2cid=220928885|doi-access=free}}</ref> contributing to the overall lack of representation in beauty-related media.

From digitally editing a model's skin to resemble the plasticity of a doll or promising young girls that they can achieve the perfect, unblemished appearance if they follow a certain makeup routine, the features of toys such as the [[Barbie]] doll are idealized and branded in popular culture and media.<ref name=":02"/> Advertisements for beauty and makeup-related toys targeting girls often promote products by using phrases such as "get perfect skin" –, a marketing strategy that instills the belief that those who use these products will achieve a Barbie doll or princess-like appearance that is widely considered ideal.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Thyne|first1=M|last2=Robertson|first2=K|last3=Thomas|first3=T|last4=Ingram|first4=M|date=2016|title="It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness": expectancies associated with tween makeup ownership|journal=International Journal of Consumer Studies|volume=40|issue=5|pages=543–551|doi=10.1111/ijcs.12299}}</ref> However, many toy companies have made attempts to expand their definitions and representations of beauty by creating dolls and characters from diverse backgrounds. Products such as [[Bratz]] and [[American Girl]] include dolls of different raceraces and ethnicities, providing more children with characters they can relate to.<ref name=":13">{{Cite journal|last=Seow|first=J|date=2019|title=Black Girls and Dolls Navigating Race, Class, and Gender in Toronto|url=https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2019.120205|journal=Girlhood Studies|volume=12|issue=2|pages=48–64|doi=10.3167/ghs.2019.120205|s2cid=199151196}}</ref>

Despite their efforts, however, both American Girl and Bratz have faced some criticismscriticism since their creations.<ref name=":13"/> For instance, the American Girl dolls are only offered in a few ethnicities, and the individualized personal narratives that accompany each doll represent a contrast between the European and non-European dolls. For example, based on their narratives, the Mexican immigrant doll, Josefina, who is tied deeply tied to her ethnic and cultural roots, would have a harder time adjusting to new environments compared to the Swedish immigrant doll, Kristen.<ref name=":13" /> Bratz dolls have also garnered criticismscriticism byfrom cultural critics who claim that the over-sexualization of their race and clothing serve to promote and reinforce the otherness of minorities.<ref name=":13" />  

Many toy manufacturing companies have also expanded representation beyond able-bodied ideals by creating dolls with disabilities. The British toymaker, Makies, has a line of customized dolls with disabilities, including dolls with hearing and walking aids, as well as guide dogs.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Ahmed|first1=Jashim Uddin|last2=Ananya|first2=Ayesha Tahsin|last3=Mim|first3=Kazi Pushpita|last4=Ahmed|first4=Asma|last5=Iqbal|first5=Sarika|date=2020|title=Barbie in a Wheelchair: Mattel's Respect to Customer Voice|url=https://doi.org/10.1177/2319714520914210|journal=FIIB Business Review|language=en|volume=9|issue=3|pages=181–186|doi=10.1177/2319714520914210|s2cid=219041300|issn=2319-7145}}</ref> The online toy store Lime Tree Kids provided representation of individuals with [[Down syndrome|Down Syndrome]] in its line of "Baby Dolls with Down syndromeSyndrome".<ref name=":2" /> Taking a similar approach withto their popular Barbie brand, [[Mattel]] has also created dolls with disabilities, namely, the "Share-a-Smile-Becky", who was introduced as Barbie's friend in 1997.<ref name=":2" /> Becky was designed to have a pink and purple wheelchair, and in the years following its creation, Becky was transformed into various different characters with a wheelchair, such as a school photographer and Paralympic.<ref name=":2" /> Despite the popularity of the doll, it was discontinued due to its inability to fit into Barbie's world, such as in the Barbie DreamHouse, as a result of Becky's wheelchair.<ref name=":2" /> In 2019, Mattel launched a new and improved doll that allowed for increased inclusivity compared to Becky with its wheelchair -accommodating dolls of all body types and its own ramp, which granted accessibility in the Barbie DreamHouse.<ref name=":2" />  

Effective advertising strategies also heavily involve product placement;,<ref name="Donald L. Shifrin 2006"/> in which a business pays for its products to be included in a film or television program.<ref>Russell, C. A., & Stern, B. B. (2006 ). CONSUMERS, CHARACTERS, AND PRODUCTS: A Balance Model of Sitcom Product Placement Effects. Journal of Advertising , 7-21.</ref> Theory{{Clarify|date=NovemberA 2022}}theory suggests that the limited cognitive process whichthat occurs when a child engages in television inflicts a feeling of familiarity to stimulate preference.<ref>Auty, S., & Lewis, C. (2004). Exploring Children's Choice: The Reminder Effect of Product Placement. Psychology and Marketing , 697-713.</ref> ''[[Toy Story]]'', a famous all -time Disney movie, was produced in association with toy makers. Characters in the movie were based on real -life toys ([[Mr. Potato Head]], [[Slinky Dog (toy)|Slinky Dog]], and [[Etch A Sketch]]) whose original sales needingneeded refreshing. After the release of the film in 1995, the sales of the toys that featured in the ''Toy Story'' movie skyrocketed. In correlation, the Disney movie ''Frozen'' is a franchise within itself, generating a net worth of $2.25 billion.<ref>QUARTZ. (2014, August 05). Disney will keep milking "Frozen" for all it is worth. Retrieved from QUARTZ: http://qz.com/245225/disney-will-keep-milking-frozen-for-all-its-worth/</ref> Disney has capitalisedcapitalized on the filmsfilm's wide audience by constructing a profitable franchise supplying ''Frozen'' character dolls, teddies, lunch boxes, clothing, duvet covers, and more. According to Dave Hollis, executive vice president for distribution at Walt Disney Studios, Disney had troubling marketing to males. To overcome this, Disney found that boys respond more to humor; therefore, Olaf, the comedic Snowman, was advertised as much as the two female lead characters were.<ref name="fool.com">Kline, D. B. (2014, May 14). How Disney Will Make 'Frozen' a Billion-Dollar Franchise. Retrieved from The Motely Fool : http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/05/14/how-disney-will-make-frozen-a-billion-dollar-franc.aspx</ref> The success of this strategic marketing was reflected in the exit polls, which readshowed that 43% of the audience during the opening weekend were in fact male.<ref name="fool.com"/> Using this particular advertising strategy, Disney, in theory, doubled their targeted audience.

The influence of famous characters in commercials blurs the lines between programmesprograms and advertisements. An example from the journal ''Children as Consumers'' explains how celebrity endorsements in commercials have positive effects on a child's response throughout the sales of toy cars.<ref>Adrian, F., & Barrie, G. (2008, January ). A Psychological Analysis of the Young People's Market. Children as Consumers, 224.</ref> Cross-promotions of businesses heavily involve celebrity and character endorsements. For ten years, Disney worked in collaboratingcollaboration with McDonald's, promoting the latest Disney films throughout the McDonald's Happy Meals. The connection between toys and fast food for young children creates a fun experience. EvidentAs evident in the ''American Academy of PaediatricsPediatrics'' journal, 20% of fast food restaurantsrestaurant advertisements now mention a complementary toy in their ads.<ref name="Donald L. Shifrin 2006"/> The consequence of this illusion, that fast food is fun, holds businesses accountable for exploiting children and contributing to the global epidemic of child obesity. Where oneOne in three children are classed as obese throughout New Zealand alone.<ref>Ministry of Health. (2015, December 10). Annual Update of Key Results 2014/15: New Zealand Health Survey. Wellington , New Zealand.</ref>

Ryan Kaji, the main visual representation of Ryan's World on YouTube, is said to be the highest-paid creator of videos in the year 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Noor|first=Poppy|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/dec/20/youtube-highest-earner-eight-year-old-guan-ryans-world|title=The highest YouTube earner this year? An eight-year-old|date=2019-12-20|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-02-20|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> He uses his big following of 23 million subscribers <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2019/12/18/the-highest-paid-youtube-stars-of-2019-the-kids-are-killing-it/|title=The Highest-Paid YouTube Stars of 2019: The Kids Are Killing It|last=Berg|first=Madeline|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2020-03-02}}</ref> to advertise and endorse specific toys that appeal to children and parents everywhere. Nearly 90 percent <ref>{{Cite news|last=Hsu|first=Tiffany|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/business/media/ryan-toysreview-youtube-ad-income.html|title=Popular YouTube Toy Review Channel Accused of Blurring Lines for Ads|date=2019-09-04|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-02-20|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> of his videos include at least one paid recommendation of a toy. His method of advertising is byto givinggive these toys a good review so people will feel the need to buy them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/youtube-highest-earning-creators-ryans-world-pewdiepie-1203447625/|title=YouTube Kid Channel Ryan's World Pulled in Estimated $26 Million in 2019, Double PewDiePie's Haul|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2019-12-18|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>

Contest and giveaway prizes are effective practices marketers use to entice children and increase sales. Cereal companies are renowned for contest and giveaway prizes, directly targeted at children. Similar to fast food, cereal companies generate excitement around their brand through the use of toys and games. Competition-based advertisementadvertising can increase sales traffic as consumers believe the more they buy, the higher their chances of winning are. This is also effective when the prized toy is a mystery and children have to buy the product to find out what it is. An example of this is the Weetbix All Black campaign, where Weetbix released All Black collector cards. Weetbix was able to engage their targeted audience, young boys, to want to purchase Weetbix so they cancould get the nationally loved rugby team's trading cards. By collectingCollecting and trading the cards also enhances social benefits for young children. By using rewardsreward schemes, Weetbix has encouraged children to choose a healthier cereal for breakfast. This is counteractive towardsto competitive sugar-based cereal brands, thus benefiting both Weetbix and children.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}

Marketers have been known to entice children through the use of exclusion. By directly advertising products as ‘kids'kids only’only', it buildsmakes the experience feel special. This type of advertising is common throughout food companies, promoting that this drink or snack is just for kids, making it immediately more engaging. The company Trix, an all-time favouritefavorite American cereal, has a slogan that reads, "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids." Promoting the impression of exclusion and importance.

The colourcolor on the packaging of a children's toy is often carefully selected in order to appeal to a certain demographic.

The [[Educational toys|educational benefits of toys]] are also explained on the packaging for the benefit of parents. Skills whichthat a child will gain, such as hand–eye coordination, exploration, and problem-solving, are made explicit.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}

The first televised toy commercial to be shown in the United States was for [[Hasbro]]'s [[Mr. Potato Head]] in 1955.<ref name="BusWeek">''[[BusinessWeek]]''. January 29, 2007. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20070202020648/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_05/b4019106.htm Hardly Babes In Toyland]". Accessed August 22, 2007.</ref> Since then, television has been one of the most important media for marketing toys.

The Internet has created new opportunities for advertisers, and new strategies have been developed to take advantage of the new media technology. Now a significant part of [[youth culture]], new technologies enable marketing campaigns to reach children in a different way. Interactive games are a new medium whichthat can be used to advertise toys to children.

In response to the perceived dangers of advertising to children, some countries and districts have highly regulated or even banned these marketing avenues. In Sweden, all advertisements aimed at children under the age of 12 have been banned, and Sweden unsuccessfully lobbied the [[European Union]] to do the same.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lembke|first=Judi|date=2018-02-05|title=Why Sweden Bans Advertising Targeted at Children|url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/sweden/articles/sweden-bans-advertising-targeted-children/|access-date=2021-12-22|website=Culture Trip}}</ref> Similarly, [[Quebec]]'s Consumer Protection Act includes provisions to ban print and broadcast advertising aimed at children under the age of 13.<ref>See sections 248 and 249 of the [http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=2&file=/P_40_1/P40_1_A.html Quebec Consumer Protection Act]</ref>

Advertising impact can be lessened if parents and teachers talk to children about the purpose and nature of advertising.<ref>Moniek Buijzen. (2009). The effectiveness of parental communication in modifying the relation between food advertising and children's consumption behaviour. British Journal of Developmental Psychology , 27, 105–121.</ref>